Once Upon a Time
by WritingHealstheHeart
Summary: Spencer falls for an intriguing and beautiful woman, who seems to have a dark secret. Can Spencer save her from her past?
1. Chapter 1

_Sorry everyone! I noticed some errors that were important to the story! I also fixed Brooke a bit. She was too confident and playful for the abuse she suffered. I made minor adjustments to her interactions with Spencer!_

 _I also added a new chapter! Thanks for reading! (6/25/2018)_

 _(xxxxx)_

 _The moon was shining brightly on the cold December night. The sound of arguing echoed through the two-story brick home. Two kids huddled together in the corner of the bedroom. The girl wrapped her arms tightly around the larger boy, who shook as much as she did. A loud explosion caused them to flinch and clutch one another tighter. Both crying and praying to be rescued._

(xxxxx)

The rain was pouring down steadily as Spencer ducked into his favorite bookstore. The clerk gave him a nod and a smile as he headed toward the coffee station. He hung his jacket up on the nearby coat rack before approaching the counter.

A young woman stood with her back to him. She was wiping one of the machines down, when Spencer cleared his throat and softly said, "excuse me." The woman jumped and knocked a stack of cups over. As she tried to catch them, her hand bumped into the stirrers, which went flying everywhere.

"Oh, oh shoot!" she said completely flustered.

Spencer went around behind the counter to help her clean up the mess. He began grabbing handfuls of stirrers off the floor as the woman grabbed the cups. Her dark brown hair was in a ponytail, but there were many pieces that strayed from the band.

"Thank you, I'm so sorry," she said as she tossed the items into the trash can.

"I'm sorry I startled you," Spencer said as he dumped the sticks.

When the two of them stood up, the woman finally looked at him. Her eyes were dark brown like her hair, but they held a gentle reflection. Her pale cheeks began to darken as she averted her eyes.

"It's not your fault. I'm clumsy," she replied. "What can I get for you?"

Spencer gave a small chuckle. "I was just going to order a regular coffee," he said.

"How much do I owe you?" he asked as he pulled his wallet from his pocket.

"It's on the house," she said as she waved her hand at him.

"But – "

"Please, consider it a thank you for helping me clean up my mess," she said.

"It wasn't much, but you're welcome and thank you for the coffee," he said holding up his cup.

"Enjoy," she said as she turned her back to finish cleaning.

Spencer smiled as he walked off to find some books to purchase. He was so engrossed in searching for new stories to read that he lost track of time. As he pulled another book off the shelf, he heard a sound behind him that made him turn.

"I'm sorry," she said as he closed the book. "I didn't mean to disturb you. I was asked to put a few books away."

"No need to apologize. You didn't disturb me," he said as he glanced at his watch. "Oh geez, I didn't realize the time. I'll get my things and be on my way."

He bent over and picked up a stack of books. The girl's eyes widened in surprise.

"Wow, that's a lot of books. Are they all for you?"

"Uh, yea. I love reading," he said as he balanced them in his arms.

"Me too," she said softly. "Do you have a favorite author?"

"Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, though I do enjoy Proust, Hemmingway, Pedulla, Tolstoy, Mark Twain, Poe … I could probably go on and on," he said blushing at his rambling. "How about you?"

"Growing up I loved reading stories that would transport me to fantasy worlds. Places of the imagination like _Where the Wild Things Are_ or _Harold and the Purple Crayon._ I liked the idea of being able to change the world into something else," she said with a mixture of nostalgia and sadness in her eyes.

"I used books to transport myself as well," Spencer said.

"Yea, but it seems like you transported into a more educational world than myself," she said with a chuckle.

"Sometimes children's books are much deeper and complex than they seem," Spencer said. "The author many times tries to make a complicated life experience more relatable and understandable by writing it for children. For example, Robert Munsch, the author of _Love You Forever_ , wrote that book to deal with the loss of his two children that were stillborn.

Today this book is frequently read by mothers to their children to express their love for their child. Munsch was sharing his eternal love for his children even though he never got to be with them. Obviously, this is too deep for a child to understand, but the message is there all the same."

"Wow, I had no idea. How sad," she replied frowning.

Spencer nodded as another girl came around the corner.

"Five minutes and we have to close down for the night," the other worker stated.

"Yes, sorry. I'm on my way," Spencer said.

"Sorry, I kept you. It was nice talking to you," the coffee woman said.

"Likewise, and Spencer," he said.

"Hmm?"

"My name … it's Spencer," he repeated.

"Oh," the girl blushed. "Brooke."

"It's nice to meet you, Brooke," he said before walking off with a smile on his face.

That was the most normal conversation he ever had with a woman he didn't know. It was strange to meet someone so easy to talk to that didn't seem to judge him for his quirks and ramblings. In fact, she seemed intrigued with his knowledge. He hoped that he'd run into her again soon.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been a week since Spencer visited the book store. Not because he didn't want to. In fact, it's all he could find himself thinking about. Which was crazy. He knew the woman was just being polite because he worked there. She wouldn't be interested in him. None-the-less he still wanted to go back and see her.

"Hellooo? Earth to Spencer."

Spencer blinked himself out of his thoughts to find Emily watching him closely. He looked around the plane and saw everyone else sound asleep, accept for Hotch who as usual was working in the back of the plane on paperwork.

"Hmmm?" he said looking back at Emily.

She was looking at him with concerned eyes.

"You alright?" she said.

"I'm fine," he replied quickly.

"I asked you four times if you wanted to play rummy," Emily said.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I was just thinking, but I'm fine," he said straightening up in his chair.

"About?" she said narrowing her eyes.

"Physics," he stated as he grabbed the deck of cards off the table and slid them out of the box.

He started shuffling and saw Emily still glaring at him. She folded her arms across her chest, leaned back in her seat, and arched her eyebrow. He knew from previous encounters she wasn't buying his lie and wouldn't stop bugging him until she got the truth. He sighed and placed the cards down.

He looked around the plane one more time. He licked his lips and leaned forward to talk in a soft tone. He didn't want the others to hear, especially Derek.

"I met this girl a week ago at a book store I frequent. She was so easy to talk to and when I talked to her she didn't respond like most people do," he said.

"Did you ask her out?" Emily asked.

"What? No … no way!" he said forgetting to be quiet. He looked around the plane and saw nobody seemed to have stirred.

"Why not? You said she seemed to like you," Emily began.

"No, I said she didn't respond like most people do," he repeated. "There's a difference. Besides, it's her job to be kind to customers."

"Ok, but there's also a difference between being kind and being interested. Tell me what the happened, word for word," Emily said, knowing his eidetic memory would help her figure out if the girl was indeed interested in her friend.

Spencer spent the next five minutes replaying that night for Emily. At the end of it, he watched her with a mixture of hope and denial.

"Spence, to me it sounds like she enjoyed talking to you. If nothing else, at least you'd make a new friend," she said.

"Or at the worst, she laughs in my face and I can never step foot in that book store again," he frowned.

Emily gave him a sympathetic smile.

"I know your past has caused a lot of doubt and cynicism in your mind, but not everyone is heartless. Imagine if you never gave any of us a chance," she said reaching across the table to hold his hand.

"That's different, you're my team," he said.

"Spencer, we are more than a team. We are family and we only became that way, because you let us in. Remember how different it was when you first started at the BAU? Hours upon hours alone. Even when I started the team you were more sheltered. I've watched you grow from a shy timid boy to this strong man who is more social and more vocal," she said smiling at him.

Spencer looked up at her through his ear length messy hair and gave a small smile.

" _If there's even a slight chance of getting something that will make you happy, risk it. Life is too short, and happiness is too rare,"_ Emily quoted.

"A.R. Lucas," Spencer replied softly.

"At least think about it and don't count yourself out. You have no idea how valuable you are in the eyes of someone else," she said before grabbing the cards and shuffling them.

Spencer stared out the window as a smile played at his lips. Emily was right. He'd take a chance and ask Brooke out.

(xxxxx)

Spencer stood in front of the store staring at the door knob. The wind was picking up as another autumn storm threatened the evening. He'd finally gotten up the nerve to come to the store, but he found himself terrified to go in. Maybe she was seeing someone already? Maybe she didn't even want to have a boyfriend?

"Spencer? Are you alright?"

Spencer jumped at the voice next to him. He turned to see Brooke standing nearby watching him cautiously. Her dark brown hair blew all around her.

"Oh, hi. Yes … I'm fine. I … um … I just was thinking … and got distracted," he stuttered.

"Oh, ok. You, coming in?" she asked as she grabbed the door knob and turned it.

He couldn't find his voice, so he just nodded. She followed behind him and hung her sweater up on the coat rack. He watched as she walked off to the coffee station. Another girl with blonde hair stood behind the counter chewing gum and playing with her cell phone.

"Thanks Casey," Brooke said as she reached under the counter and grabbed her apron to put back on.

"Yep," Casey replied before wandering off.

"Did you want a coffee?" she asked as she leaned on the counter.

"Uh, sure … I mean yes … please," he said nervously.

Brooke went straight to work on his coffee as he stood fiddling nervously with the strap of his messenger bag.

"How's your week been?" she asked as she poured something into the Styrofoam cup.

"Good, yours?" he said, still shaking on the inside.

"Can't complain. Wish these storms would stop though. Makes it hard to find time to go pick Pumpkins or enjoy Halloween festivities," she said as she handed him the cup.

"You like Halloween?" he said, glad for a topic of conversation.

"October through December are hands down the best months of the year," she said with a smile.

"I would have to agree. Ever since I was a child, Halloween was always my favorite time of year. I guess the idea of pretending to be someone or something else was always appealing," he said as he took a sip of his coffee.

"Why would you want to be someone else? You are great the way you are," she said with sincerity.

Spencer nearly choked on his coffee. Brooke frowned and turned red as she handed him a napkin. He wiped his face and gave her an embarrassed nod.

"Sorry, didn't mean … I shouldn't have …" she said.

"No, I just … I don't hear that often. It caught me off guard," he said honestly.

He felt himself blush at that confession. He wished he knew how to shut up around her, but for some reason she made him feel safe and so his filter seemed to malfunction.

"I don't understand why, but I'll take your word for it," she said. "So, you finished all those books you bought last week already?"

Spencer nodded as he threw the napkin into a nearby trashcan.

"Please don't take this the wrong way, but that's a lot of books. Do you … um … do you work?" she said gently.

"Yea, I have a job, but I can read 20,000 words per minute," he said matter-of-factly.

Brooke's brows furrowed.

"Wow, that's a lot of words. What's the average?" she wondered.

"Average readers can read roughly 200 words per minute with 60 percent comprehension," he replied.

Brooke's jaw dropped. "Spencer, that's incredible."

"Really?" he said in surprise.

"Yea, I wish I could read that fast. There are so many amazing books in this world and there just isn't enough time to read them all. But you can probably read most of them!"

She was genuinely excited about this knowledge. Spencer was taken back by her reaction. Most people tended to stare at him like he was a freak. Even his team loved to tease him about his unique abilities.

"You must have a rare mind, Spencer," she said with awe.

"Uh, yea I suppose. According to the 15 SD, Wechsler scale only 1 in 300,656,786 have an IQ of 187. Which is estimated to be in the 99.9999996674 percentile. However, on the 16 SD, Stanford-Binet scale only 1 in 36,927,646 have an IQ of 187, which is 99.9999972920 percentile," he rambled.

He pursed his lips and bounced a bit on his feet. He realized he just blabbed out useless facts rather than giving a normal answer like yes.

"Wow," Brooke said. "Well, it is an honor to be in the presence of genius. You must never run out of things to talk about."

"Most people don't particularly care for my ramblings," he replied with red cheeks.

"What a shame. I don't understand how anyone wouldn't want to learn more at any opportunity they can get, but their loss I suppose," she said shrugging.

Spencer was struck mute. He couldn't believe all that he'd spilled out to her didn't seem to scare her off. He swallowed hard and took a deep breath before blurting, "Would you want to go out sometime?"

Brooke stopped in her tracks, clearly surprised by his question. His heart pounded in his chest and his stomach churned. He was about to turn and run from the building in humiliation.

"Ok," Brooke said softly.

Spencer looked up at her with a stunned expression. She had a tint of pink on her cheeks and she suddenly seemed shyer.

"Ok?" he repeated.

Brooke gave a small giggle. "Ok."

"Umm, ok, umm, how about dinner? When is your next night off?" he asked as his brain swirled with excitement.

"I'm off Wednesday night," she said.

"Ok, Wednesday night. Does 7 o'clock sound ok?" he said.

"That works, how about we meet here? There's a lot of great restaurants nearby we can choose from," Brooke suggested.

"Yea, I can do that," he said.

Spencer smiled and nodded before he turned to leave.

"I thought you were getting some books?" she called out to him.

"Uh, no. I accomplished what I came here for," he said, surprising himself.

Brooke blushed.

"See you Wednesday," he said.

Spencer waved awkwardly and hurried from the book store. He couldn't believe she had said yes. He was on cloud nine and nothing was going to drag him down!

(xxxxx)

 _Hope you enjoyed the newest chapter! Thanks for the reviews!_

 _*The statistic regarding average words read was from:_

 _*The statistic regarding IQ was from:_

 _Found the quote on google_


	3. Chapter 3

Spencer walked into work the following day with more pep in his step. He took a sip of his coffee, that now wasn't nearly as satisfying as Brooke's coffee, but good enough. He walked over to his desk, put his bag down, and sat down.

"Well, someone had a good night," Emily said from her cubicle.

Spencer looked up at her and tried to feign surprise.

"You can't wipe that smile off your face. Does this have something to do with book store girl?" she grinned.

Spencer felt his face blush and he dropped his head to hide the smile that immediately hit his lips.

"Spencer Reid, you are totally smitten," she gushed, making Spencer turn redder. "So, I take it you asked her out and she said yes."

Spencer couldn't speak at the moment, so he just nodded.

"Look at you. All grown up and asking out girls," she teased.

"Shut up," he said tossing a paper clip at her.

Emily giggled as she dodged the clip.

"Seriously though, I'm happy for you. She must be something special to make you smile like that."

"She is. She treats me different … like a good way different. She doesn't make fun of me for being smart and actually said that she didn't understand how people didn't want to learn more. Emily, she doesn't think I'm a freak," he said excitedly.

Emily's heart dropped at that comment. Sometimes she forgot how much it hurt Spencer to be different. She always admired that about him and though she teased him at times, she was envious of his intelligence. She knew the rest of the team felt the same way and sometimes they felt inferior to him. Being reminded of his fragile state of mind brought an immense amount of guilt.

"Spence, look at me," she said seriously.

He looked up, confused by her sudden serious tone. He furrowed his brow and looked at her questioningly.

"You are not a freak. I know we aren't always the nicest to you, but it's not because we don't love you or care. In fact, it's part of the reason we forget to be sensitive to your feelings. We just see you as our little brother and can get a bit out of hand at times."

Spencer gave a small smile, but his eyes showed more pain.

"Please know that no matter what you are special to all of us. Your intelligence is a gift from God and there isn't a person in the world that wouldn't want to be able to read like you, remember facts like you, to excel at life like you. There are women out there who are smart enough to see your worth. Lila saw it, Austen, Maeve, and now book store girl," Emily said smiling.

Spencer looked to be holding back tears. She wasn't sure if it was what she said or that she mentioned Maeve. He swallowed hard and looked at her.

"Brooke," he said softly.

"Huh?"

"Her name is Brooke," he said.

"Brooke. That's a beautiful name," she replied before looking at the folder in front of her.

"Emily."

She looked back at him.

"Thank you," he said before clearing his throat.

Emily just smiled and gave him a nod before the two of them began their work for the day.

(xxxxx)

Wednesday night finally arrived and Spencer nervously paced out front of the book store. He adjusted his blue tie that kept falling crooked. Especially because his hand had been bandaged after an unsub burned him with a hot iron. Luckily, he saw it coming, lifted his hand and blocked it from striking his face. He only suffered second degree burns on his palm.

Just ahead he saw Brooke walking toward him with a smile on her face. She wore a long sleeved blue dress that was long in the back and short in the front, and tan boots. Her hair was half up in a ponytail and wavy curls for the bottom half. She looked stunning.

"Hey Spencer," she said when she was close.

"Hi, um, you look incredible," he said nervously.

"Oh, thank you," she said shyly. "You look very handsome … oh what happened to your hand?"

She reached out and gently took his wounded hand into hers.

"It's nothing," he shrugged.

"Certainly, doesn't look like nothing. Does it hurt?" she asked as she gazed up at him.

"Not at the moment, but when I shower it stings," he said.

"Did it happen at work?"

"Yes, um, I … uh … I blocked an iron from hitting my face," he said.

Brooke's eyes widened.

"Where do you work that irons are thrown at you?"

Spencer gave a small chuckle. "Well, it's not something that typically happens. I work for the FBI," he explained.

"The FBI?" she said.

Spencer thought she looked nervous all of a sudden.

"Yea, specifically with the BAU," he stated. "The Behavioral Analysis Unit."

"Oh, what's that mean?" she asked.

He noticed her hands had tangled together tightly.

"We, uh, profile serial killers. Our job is to try and stop them from killing anymore people. Sometimes we are used in kidnapping cases as well," he explained.

"Oh, so you don't like just go after any criminals?" she said as her hands fell to her side.

"No, those types of cases can usually be handled by local police units," he said.

"I should have known with a brain like that you wouldn't work just anywhere," she said, more to herself than him. "Any thoughts on where to go for dinner?"

"I was thinking about Lucianna's? It's an Italian restaurant that my friend told me about," he suggested.

"That sounds great. Lead the way," she said.

Spencer noted that she seemed to have relaxed. He wondered what caused her to tense at the mention of his job. He hoped he hadn't been too nerdy for her. Maybe she was intimidated by him? Or thought he was being a show off? Or maybe she thought for a moment he was lying to her? Whatever it was, he was glad she seemed to have moved on from it.

(xxxxx)

"So, I reprogrammed his iPod and cell phone to me screaming," Spencer said as Brooke laughed.

Music played gently around them as they sat on the rooftop of the restaurant overlooking the town. There was a gentle breeze that made the evening beautiful.

"Has he retaliated yet?" Brooke asked as she took a sip of her wine.

"Not yet. I don't know if he's just waiting until I least expect it or he just forgot about it," Spencer said.

"Well, your team sounds amazing. I can see why you love them so much," she said smiling at him.

"What about the girls you work with?" he asked as he leaned back in his chair.

"We don't really talk, which is alright with me. I'm not much of a social butterfly," she replied.

"It didn't seem that way when I met you," he said.

"That's true, but usually I'm not that chatty. There was just something about you that made me feel comfortable," she said blushing.

"I know the feeling. I don't ask girls out … like ever," he chuckled.

"Well, I'm glad you did. I really like talking to you," Brooke said.

Suddenly, Spencer's phone started beeping.

"No, no, no," he said as he pulled the phone out of his pocket.

He looked at it with a frown on his face.

"What's wrong?" Brooke asked as she shrank back into her chair.

"I have a case," he said as he placed the phone down on the table.

"Oh, so you have to go?" she said with disappointment.

"I really don't want to. Brooke, I am so sorry. I would ignore it if I could," he said with sincerity.

"It's ok. I understand. You have to go save the world," she said, trying to not be upset by the abrupt ending to their date.

"Can I make it up to you? When I get back? I'll take you out to dinner again? Or we could do something else? Anything you want, my treat," he said.

"Spencer, you don't have to make it up to me. That being said, I would love to see you again," she said with a bit of relief.

There was a small part of her that worried the phone call was just a way to get out of the date. If that were the case, why would he ask her out on another date? Spencer flagged down the waiter and asked for the check. Not five minutes later, they were back outside and walking towards the book store.

"Do you have a safe way home? Do you want me to drop you off?" he offered.

"You're sweet, but I'll be alright," she said.

They stopped just outside the store and turned to face one another.

"I really am sorry," he apologized.

"It's ok. Just be safe," Brooke said as she placed her hand on his arm.

Spencer took the small gesture as a sign to hug her. He was nervous she'd push him away, but as he wrapped his arms around her, he felt her head lay against his collarbone and her arms wrap lightly around his waist. He could smell her shampoo and it made him smile. As they were pulling away, Brooke gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek.

"Be safe," she repeated.

"I will," he said before reluctantly walking off. He looked back over his shoulder to see her watching him. "I'll call you."

Brooke nodded and turned to walk in the opposite direction. Although it hadn't ended the way he hoped, it was still an amazing date and she'd even kissed him. He could still feel the warmth on his stubbled cheek. He couldn't wait to solve this case and get home to see her again.

(xxxxx)

 _Hey guys – thanks for the comments!_

 _Just a small note, that I may at some points go out of order on stories. Also, I find it easier to write about Hotch, Rossi, J.J. Emily, and Morgan as team members. So, in these stories – none of them have left unless otherwise stated in the story. I picture Spencer to be how he looked in season 11._


	4. Chapter 4

*Warning – this chapter contains abusive situations*

(xxxxx)

Spencer tossed his bag onto the jet and dropped down into his seat. He was still angry that his date with Brooke had been interrupted and cut short. He was so frustrated he hadn't even noticed J.J. sitting across from him.

"You ok?" she asked, startling him.

He gave her an apologetic smile and fished a notebook out of his bag.

"I'm fine," he said leaning back with a sigh.

"You don't seem ok," J.J. said with narrowed eyes.

"What's going on?" Derek asked as he walked up to sit next to J.J.

J.J. said nothing, but Derek looked across the table at Spencer and a grin appeared.

"Oh, I know that look. I know that look well," he said before chuckling.

"What?" J.J. and Spencer said in unison.

"Pretty boy was on a date and got interrupted," he said.

J.J.'s jaw dropped as Spencer turned red.

"What? Nooo … no, I just have a headache and it's been a bad day," he lied.

Derek laughed harder.

"Kid, come off it. You aren't fooling anyone, so tell us what happened. Trust me, we've all been there," he said.

Spencer seemed to be debating whether to admit to it or continue to lie. Before he had a chance to answer, Hotch boarded and immediately jumped into briefing everyone.

(xxxxx)

Spencer and J.J. walked through the thick grass towards the crime scene. Storms threatened the small town in Kentucky, where they had only hours before arrived.

"So, who is she?" J.J. suddenly asked.

"Huh?"

The team never got a moment to get back to asking Spencer about Brooke, so his mind had wandered to the case and off of his anger. Not that he forgot about her. She was unforgettable. Her long brown hair, those beautiful brown eyes. Her slightly plump lips that were a soft pink. The way she smelled like vanilla and some fragrant shampoo. His thoughts were disrupted by J.J.'s voice.

"I'm assuming Morgan was correct. You were on a date tonight?" she said glancing at him.

Though it was dark, she could still see his features due to the lights that were set up ahead of them. Spencer glanced at her before looking down at his feet.

"Her name is Brooke," he said softly. "It was our first date."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Derek's right though, we've all been there. So, we know how much that sucks. Did she handle it alright?"

"She looked kind of sad initially, but I promised when I came home I would take her out again. It must have eased her mind because she seemed more relaxed after that," Spencer said.

"She probably thought you were trying to get out of the date," J.J. said.

"You think so?"

"I know if I went out with a guy and he told me he had to leave suddenly, I would be worried it was just an excuse to get out of the date," she said.

"Oh," he said with concern. "So, what do I do? I don't want her to think that."

"You could call her and tell her you had a great time on the date. Maybe apologize again for having to leave," J.J. suggested.

Spencer's frowned and stopped walking, making J.J. pause with a questioning look.

"I don't have her number," he said.

"How did you go on a date and not get her phone number?" J.J. said with a furrowed brow.

"Well, I just went to her job to ask her out and when we chose a day and time, we met at the bookstore. So, there really wasn't a reason to call her," he shrugged.

"When we get home, go see her and get her number," she ordered as she continued walking to the crime scene.

Spencer followed quickly behind.

(xxxxx)

" _It's all your fault! Look what you did!" the woman screamed._

 _A hand swung down and slammed into the young girl's cheek. The slap was so hard the child's eardrum ruptured. She fell to the ground with a loud crash. Before she had a moment to recover, the woman's hand fisted in her hand and dragged her across the wooden floor. The girl tried desperately to get her footing, but the woman moved too quickly for her little feet to keep up._

 _She was tossed unceremoniously onto the cold bathroom tile. Her forehead bouncing off the floor as she skidded to a halt. She heard the bath tub running and began to cry._

" _Mama, please! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to, please! I'll be good I promise!" the little girl sobbed._

" _Shut up! It's too late for sorry! Now get undressed!"_

 _The girl stood up shaking as she peeled away the dirty nightgown she was wearing. She was shaking as she approached the tub. She climbed in and was immediately pushed down into the frigid water. This was a favorite punishment of her mother's. She wondered how long she would have to stay in the water this time. Last time, she was able to play "Disney's Cinderella" in her mind, nearly to the end._

" _Now, stay there until I tell you to get out!"_

 _The woman turned off the water and stormed from the room. The young girl shivered in the icy water that covered her all the way to her face. Only her nose was allowed to be out of the water for breathing purposes. If she was caught sitting up, there would be extra punishments. So, she stayed submerged as she began to watch Cinderella in her mind again._

(xxxxx)

 _Thanks for the comments! I hope you are enjoying it thus far! xoxo_


	5. Chapter 5

*Warning – this chapter contains abusive situations*

(xxxxx)

Brooke stifled a yawn as she swept mundanely behind the counter. There really wasn't any mess on the floor, but she needed to keep herself busy. It had been another sleepless night. Nightmares that woke her up, shaking and sweating. It had been a while since these dreams haunted her. She wasn't sure what brought them on again so suddenly, but it was affecting her mentally, emotionally, and physically.

Another yawn escaped her, when the chime from the front door jingled. She glanced up from her chore and her heart fluttered. Walking towards her in a long brown trench coat, a purple scarf, and that ever messy hair, was Spencer. His eyes seemed to light up when they connected with hers.

"Welcome home stranger," she greeted as she leaned the broom against the counter.

"Hi," he said as he gave a little awkward wave.

"When did you get back into town?" she asked.

"About two hours ago," he said. "Figured I'd pop in and see if you were working."

Brooke held out her arms like Vanna White showing off the Wheel of Fortune letters.

"In all my glory," she joked.

They shared a small laugh, before an awkward silence fell over them. Spencer scratched at the back of his neck, while Brooke brushed imaginary dirt off the counter with her hand. Their eyes connected again and they both let out a chuckle.

"Sorry, I'm still not great at this," Spencer blushed.

"Me neither," Brooke said with a smile.

"I know it's kind of last minute, but I haven't had anything to eat yet. Would you want to get a bite after you get off work?" he asked nervously.

"Sure, I have another hour until I get off though?" she said.

"I don't mind waiting. I could find something to read until you are finished," he said and then seemed to second guess himself. "Unless … unless you'd rather I just leave…"

"No, that's fine. You are more than welcome to wait for me," she said.

Spencer gave a shy smile and nodded. He pointed to the direction he was going, clearly unable to put his thoughts into words all of a sudden. Brooke smiled happily as she watched him walk away.

(xxxxx)

Brooke finished closing up her station and went off in search of Spencer. She hadn't seen him in the hour since he arrived. She walked down the four wooden stairs to the reading area and covered her mouth to keep from laughing.

Spencer's head was dangling over the open book he had attempted to read before falling asleep. His breathing was even and soft. She felt bad having to wake him. Brooke kneeled down in front of him and placed her hand gently on his knee and gave it a slight wiggle.

"Spence," she said in a hushed voice.

Spencer's head snapped up in surprise and he looked around groggily as he tried to take in his surroundings. Suddenly, his eyes went from confused to embarrassed. He shifted in the seat and closed the book on his lap.

"I'm so sorry," he said as he gathered his things.

"No need to be. I'm sorry I had to wake you," she said as she watched him get his bearings. "Why don't we reschedule. You need to rest."

"No, no I'm fine. I just need a bit of coffee and I'll be more alert," he said, seeming discombobulated.

"Are you sure?" Brooke hesitated.

"I already screwed up one date with you. I won't let that happen again," he said guiltily.

"Oh, Spencer, you didn't screw up our date," she said reaching out to place her hand on his arm.

"Nevertheless, I'm not breaking this date. Please join me for dinner. I promise not to drool or snore during it," he said, trying to ease the mood he'd created.

He succeeded in his joke as Brooke let out a laugh.

"Alright, if you insist, let's go sleepy," she teased as they turned and walked out of the book store.

(xxxxxx)

Brooke took a deep breath and smiled. The cool night air sent a chill down her spine and made her shake momentarily.

"Are you cold?" Spencer asked worriedly.

"A little, but I'm alright," she said smiling at him. "Thank you for dinner. You really didn't need to pay …"

Spencer held up his hand to stop her.

"I wouldn't be a gentleman if I made you pay," he said before stuffing his hands back in his pockets.

"That's very old school thinking nowadays," Brooke grinned.

"I know. It's not that I don't think women aren't equal or anything. Hell, the women I work with could kick my ass before I'd know what hit me. I was just raised to believe when you are lucky enough to find someone worth spending time with, you treat them like the blessing they are," he said matter-of-factly.

Brooke blushed and looked down at her feet. Spencer wondered for a moment if maybe that was too forward of him. He was about to apologize, when she closed the gap between them and looked up into his eyes. He was instantly struck mute as he stared into her deep brown eyes.

He wanted to kiss her. In fact, he subconsciously glanced down at her pouty pink lips and wondered what they would feel like against his. His heart was racing as the two of them continued to stare at one another.

"Can I see you again?" he asked in a gruff voice that took him by surprise.

Brooke licked her lips, swallowed hard, and nodded. The sound of a car horn behind them, caused them both to jump. The moment was lost. Brooke took a step back and looked away from him. He saw her walls go up and knew they wouldn't be sharing a kiss that night.

"Can I have your number?" he asked.

"Oh, um, sure, its 555-4598," she said as he nodded. "Do you need to write that down?"

"Eidetic memory. I won't forget it," he said.

"Oh," she replied.

"I'll call you tomorrow," he said as he clutched his bag, back to his awkward self.

"Sounds good. Thank you again for dinner," she said as she started to turn away from him.

"Be safe," he said as she walked towards her car.

"You too and get some sleep," she said with a teasing smile.

Spencer chuckled.

"Goodnight, Brooke," he said as he watched her climb into her car.

"Goodnight, Spencer."

He watched her drive away and gave another wave until it seemed appropriate to stop. He turned to finish his walk home and again found himself smiling. He was trying not to get ahead of himself, but he couldn't help feel that he was falling in love with her.

(xxxxx)

 _The young girl sat under the table hugging her knees to her chest as she listened to the sound of silverware hitting against plates. Her stomach gurgled as she tried to ignore the delicious smells._

" _May I be excused?" a young boy asked._

" _Yes, but take your plate to the sink," the woman ordered._

 _The girl watched as the boy's feet moved away from the table and walked into the kitchen. She heard the sound of the plate hitting the metal sink. It was another 15 minutes before the woman and the man's feet got up from the table and repeated the same as the boy._

 _She waited in silence. Her mouth watering in hopes that tonight there was something leftover for her. She knew that her brother tried to leave her leftovers, but if their mother suspected it was on purpose he would get a beating too. So, now he ate until he almost always finished it all._

 _Suddenly, a small dog bowl was shoved under the table. It looked like they had meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and green beans. It was hard to tell as it was all smushed together in the bowl with gravy on top of it. She didn't care though in three bites she ate it all._

 _She was incredibly thirsty, but no drink was offered to her this evening and she knew better than to ask. When she finished her meal, she placed the bowl on the floor and waited for permission to go to bed. She used to sleep in the bathroom, but she was caught helping herself to water one night, so her mother made her a new room._

" _You may go to bed," the unloving voice stated from above._

 _The girl crawled out from under the table and started walking to her bed, when she heard a humph behind her._

" _Do you have nothing you'd like to say to me?"_

" _Thank you for the food Mother. It was delicious and awfully kind of you to allow me to eat this evening. You are the best mother in the world," the girl stated, though she didn't mean it._

" _You're welcome. Now, off to bed," the woman said emotionlessly._

 _The girl avoided eye contact before scurrying to the garage. Once inside, she slid into the cage that waited for her. She pulled the thin ratty blanket around her body and curled up. Moments later, the door opened and a man walked in._

 _He quietly bent down and locked the cage with a frown. The girl watched him from her curled up position. Her dad was a thin frail man, who'd been battling cancer for many years. He never hurt her, but he never protected her either. He would just watch silently or do whatever Mother asked him to do. At night she would dream of him rescuing her and her brother. Taking them far away where they lived happily ever after, but it never happened. He never did anything but watch her sadly._

" _Goodnight, Bella. Papa loves you," he said before leaving her in the freezing garage._

(xxxxx)

 _Thanks for the comments, they mean the world to me and give me the boost to keep writing! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! xoxo_


	6. Chapter 6

*Warning – this chapter contains abusive situations*

(xxxxx)

The next month flew by. Spencer and Brooke continued to spend as much time together as Spencer's job allowed. Sometimes they went to museums or festivals, but most of the time they just enjoyed quiet nights at Spencer's apartment.

Fall had settled in, making the days a bit chillier. One particularly cold November night, Brooke stood in front of Rossi's mansion, clutching Spencer's hand. She looked up at it with large eyes and she bit her cheek nervously.

"Hey, it's going to be ok," Spencer said softly, squeezing her hand. "They're going to love you."

Brooke looked at him and gave a small smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. It took a lot of pleading to get her to meet his team. She was terrified to take this step in their relationship. Hell, they hadn't even kissed yet!

The door swung open and a thin blonde smiled at them both. Brooke knew this to be J.J. who was married to Will and had two boys, Henry and Michael. Spencer spoke fondly of them often and had a few pictures of them around his home.

"Hey guys, you made it," J.J. said as she moved aside to let them in.

Spencer gave her a hug after she closed the door. When they separated, J.J. held her hand out to Brooke.

"Hi, I'm J.J., you must be Brooke," she said sweetly.

Brooke shook her hand and nodded with a shy smile.

"It's nice to finally meet you. Spence, talks about you all the time," J.J. said with a friendly giggle.

Brooke shot him a bashful look, which made him smile at her.

"Well, come on in. We were just getting ready to eat, so perfect timing," J.J. said as she walked off towards the dining room.

Spencer gave Brooke's hand another loving squeeze before following J.J. The room erupted with greetings as they walked in to sit down. Brooke waved shyly at everyone as she followed close behind Spencer to the two remaining seats.

Always the gentleman, Spencer pulled her chair out for her and waited until she sat before helping her scoot closer to the table. He sat next to Derek, while Brooke was seated next to Emily.

"Welcome," Rossi said as he took his seat at the head of the table. "I guess to make this easier, we'll just go around the table and introduce ourselves to you. I'm Dave and I'm glad you were able to come this evening. I hope you enjoy pasta, because Italian is my specialty," he said with a grin.

One by one they went around the table and said hello to her. Each time she would give a small smile and a tiny wave, but she didn't speak. She was far too nervous to attempt that. Most of the meal, everyone separated into their own conversations, which was great for Brooke. She was able to have small talk with Emily and Spencer, which helped her feel at ease. Near the end of the meal, Derek began sharing a story that everyone seemed to be tuned into.

Now that the group had become focused as one again, the moment she dreaded arrived. She was singled out for questioning. She hated being in the spotlight and was terrified of what to say.

"Brooke, how long have you lived in Virginia?" Penelope asked with a friendly smile.

Brooke felt her cheeks warming as everyone's eyes turned to her.

"Umm, about a year," she said softly.

"Oh, that's not very long. What brought you here?" Penelope said as she sipped her wine.

"Change of scenery," she said.

"Do you have family in the area?"

Brooke fidgeted in her seat and cleared her throat. She reached out and grabbed her glass of water and took a gulp. She could feel everyone studying her.

"Umm, no. It's just me. My parents passed away years ago," she replied finally.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Penelope frowned.

"It's ok," Brooke said as she looked down at her empty plate.

"Rossi, this fettuccini was magnifico! I don't suppose you're willing to share the recipe?" Emily said, changing the subject.

Brooke glanced at Emily, who gave her a quick look and wink. Brooke wasn't able to express her gratitude, but she was relieved that Emily sensed her trepidation and turned the conversation into delicious recipes.

(xxxxx)

Everyone was gathered in the living room sharing stories, while beautiful music played in the background. J.J. and Will had left to relieve the babysitter, but everyone else had stuck around. Spencer was sitting on the love seat with Brooke, their hands entwined as they pressed close together. Spencer was having a conversation with Emily about some foreign film they both liked, while Derek and Penelope laughed over some story Rossi and Hotch were telling them.

Brooke liked them. They seemed to all truly love and care for each other. It was something she wasn't used to seeing. They were also very welcoming and kind to her. She particularly liked Emily. It seemed as if she was able to read her and knew how to communicate with her. Penelope was sweet, but she was a little overwhelming. Derek was funny but could be obnoxious with his joking. Hotch was too quiet for her. It made her incredibly nervous. J.J. seemed sweet too, but she didn't get much time to talk to her and Rossi's sarcasm intimidated her. She wasn't sure if he liked her or not.

"Rossi, do you have more chardonnay?" Penelope asked as she waved her empty glass in the air.

"I believe I do in the cellar," he said, as Penelope started to rise. "No, no. I'll go look. You just stay put."

"Rossi, I am capable …" she started.

"I know you are, but you are a guest in my home. I will go find the wine," he said.

Penelope thanked him and jumped back into the conversation as Rossi went off in search of the wine. Not five minutes later, he emerged holding a bottle.

"You're in luck, I had another bottle, Bella," he said.

Brooke's heart stopped at that word. She felt dizzy and nauseous. Her heart began racing and she felt herself start shaking.

"Where's the bathroom?" she said in a low voice to Spencer.

He looked at her with concern and noticed how pale she looked. Her forehead was sweaty and she seemed to be shaking.

"Are you alright?" he asked, which made Emily look on in worry.

"Bathroom," she said again.

Spencer pointed down the hallway.

"Second door on the left. Are you ok?" he tried again.

Brooke didn't answer, she just stood up and tried to walk as quickly but normally as possible. When she reached the bathroom, she shut the door and slid down in front of the toilet. Her breath was rapid as she tried to gather herself. She realized that tears were streaming down her face as she hyperventilated on the floor.

" _Bella, please just do what mama says."_

(xxxxx)

 _Brooke, who was no more than 6-years-old, stood in front of the backyard porch staring into the darkness beneath it. Her Mother told her to go underneath and fetch the quarter she dropped down there._

" _But Mama it's dark under there. There are probably bugs and maybe snakes," Brooke said._

" _Do you think money just grows on trees? That I can afford for you to drop quarters through the cracks of the deck?" her mother shouted._

" _It was an accident," Brooke pleaded._

" _You did it on purpose. Now get on your hands and knees and find that damn quarter!" her mother screamed._

" _Can I have a flashlight?" Brooke asked as she peered into the dark hole, that was even darker in the night._

" _No! Now get a move on it, if you want dinner tonight!" her mother said before walking back inside._

 _Brooke stared at the hole and looked to her father with pleading eyes._

" _Bella, please just do what mama says," her Papa said._

" _Papa, please don't do this to me," Brooke said as tears streamed from her eyes._

" _I'll be here waiting for you when you get out," he said as he sat down on the steps nearby._

 _Brooke let out a sob, but she got down on her hands and knees and began crawling through the hole. She wanted to scream many times as she ran into cobwebs and felt things crawling on her skin. Much to her happiness, she found the quarter after thirty minutes of blindly touching the dirt._

 _She crawled out from under the stairs with a smile on her tear-stained face. Her papa was gone and now her mother stood staring at her._

" _Mama, I found it!" she said happily as she held it up._

" _Look how filthy you are? You disgusting pig. You think you can just come in the house now? Looking like that?" her mother growled._

" _But … you … you told me …" Brooke stuttered._

" _I told you?! I told you to get dirty?! You're a pig and liar!" her mother yelled before lifting her hand and slapping Brooke across the face. "I will not have a dirty, lying pig in my home!"_

 _Her mother grabbed her by the arm and dragged her across the lawn. They kept walking until they reached the far corner of the yard. Her mother pulled a key from her pocket and unlocked the shed door. She shoved Brooke into the sweltering hot shed._

" _Mama, please! It's scary out here! Please I'll clean up! I'll take a bath! I'm sorry I was a bad girl! I won't be a dirty pig!" Brooke sobbed._

" _You need to learn your lesson!" her mother shouted before slamming the door and locking the shed._

" _Mama! Mama, please! I'm sorry! Please, Mama!" she shouted._

 _The door started to shake and swing open again. Brooke felt relief that her cries were being answered. Suddenly, a fist slammed into her cheek. She lost her balance and fell to the ground, stunned._

" _You make one more sound, I will rip open your throat and crush your vocal box with my bare hands," her mother growled. "Do you understand?"_

" _Yes, ma'am," Brooke whimpered._

 _The door slammed shut and locked again. Brooke curled up into a ball and cried herself to sleep._

(xxxxx)

There was a buzzing sound in her ears and all she could see was black. Slowly everything began to come back into view. She saw Spencer staring at her with terror in his eyes.

"Brooke, can you hear me?"

"What happened?" she said as she looked around the room.

She saw the toilet next to her and Emily peering into the room next to Spencer. She had a phone to her ear.

"She's conscious," Emily said to the person on the phone.

Brooke sat up with the help of Spencer.

"You fainted. Just relax, the ambulance is on its way," Spencer told her.

"No, no ambulance. I'm fine," Brooke insisted.

"Brooke, you need to see …"

"No, I don't want an ambulance. I'm fine," she snapped.

Spencer seemed taken back by this. Brooke sighed and grabbed his hand.

"Please, I'm ok. I promise," she said with a small smile.

Emily nodded and stood up to cancel the request for the ambulance. Brooke slowly got to her feet as Spencer put his hand around her waist and still held her hand. Once standing, she realized everyone was crowded near the bathroom watching her with worry.

"Well, this is embarrassing," she said as she put her free hand to her face.

"Honey, no need to be embarrassed. We are glad you are ok," Penelope said.

"Thank you all for your kindness this evening. I think it's best if I just call it a night," Brooke said humiliated.

After settling into the car, Spencer said a few quick goodbyes, before he hopped into the driver's seat to take Brooke home.

"What's your address?" he asked.

Brooke stared out the window as she chewed her cheeks. He reached out and placed his hand on top of hers.

"Brooke, what's going on? You're really worrying me," he said with such concern it tore Brooke's heart.

"I was just overwhelmed. I don't do well around a large crowd," she said.

Spencer stared at her and she could tell that he didn't believe her.

"My car is still at the bookstore. You can just drop me off there," she said before turning to look back out the window.

"No," he said shocking her. "No way. You are not driving after what just happened."

"Spencer, I told you, I'm fine," she said sighing.

"I don't care. I'm not letting you drive home tonight. So, you either give me your address or you stay with me," he said.

Brooke's eyes grew wider as she stared at him.

"What?" he said, a little irritated.

"You … you want me to stay with you?" she said surprised.

"If it keeps you safe, then yes," he said, still frustrated.

Brooke felt a little stir in her heart at his offer.

"But …" she began and then seemed to think better of it.

"But what?" he asked, getting annoyed again.

Brooke seemed to grow nervous and picked at piece of string on her sweater.

"But, we haven't even … kissed yet," she said softly.

Spencer's anger dissipated.

"I wasn't suggesting we stay in the same room or anything. I would allow you to have the bed while I take the couch," he explained.

"No, I couldn't allow you to give up your bed," she said.

"Brooke, I wouldn't have offered if it was a big deal. I really don't mind," he said.

It was quiet for a few awkward moments.

"Ok," she said barely above a whisper.

"Ok what?"

"I'll stay with you tonight," she replied with a small smile.

Spencer looked at her for a moment and a smile slowly crept to his face.

"Ok," he said.

He started the car and drove off toward his house. When they pulled into his parking space, Brooke began to unbuckle when she felt his hand on hers. She looked up with questioning eyes to see Spencer looking at her.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Without warning, Spencer leaned forward and placed his lips gently on hers. It was a very soft, chaste kiss, but there was a spark nonetheless. When he broke the kiss, Brooke's eyes fluttered open and she looked at him with surprise.

"I just figured we should get that out of the way before you spent the night," he said with a smile.

"Good thinking," she replied with a shy smile.

"It was ok I did that, right?" he said, suddenly worried.

"Yea, yea it was ok," she said blushing.

"Maybe we can do it again soon," he said, with questioning eyes.

"Yea … umm … yea, I'd like that," she stuttered.

Spencer smiled and then unbuckled his seat belt, grabbed his bag and climbed out of the car. It took a minute for Brooke to catch up. She was still in a daze at their first kiss. It was only a few seconds and very tame, but she was hooked. She definitely wanted to experience more of that with him. She followed behind him, clutching his hand tightly as they walked inside to his home.

(xxxxx)

 _Good job to those that figured out Brooke was the girl. You'll find out more about her horrible past and what secrets she's hiding from him._

 _Hope you enjoy! Comment if you can xoxo_


	7. Chapter 7

*Warning – this chapter contains abusive situations*

(xxxxx)

The following morning, Brooke woke up to the feeling of peace. Something she hadn't felt in years. She wrapped Spencer's comforter tighter around her body and breathed in his comforting scent. She smiled at the incredible feeling of happiness that ran through her veins. This was something she had never felt before.

She never slept in a bed that was so soft and warm. She had never been able to close her eyes and sleep peacefully. In fact, she just realized for the first time in a long time, she didn't even have a nightmare. She never wanted to leave this bed. But, she knew life was waiting, so she rolled out of the bed and wandered to the bathroom.

It was so clean. She gently touched the granite counter top with her fingers. It was cold and smooth. She saw Spencer's toothpaste and placed some of it on her finger. Using her finger as a brush, she cleaned her teeth. When she finished, she instinctively started rinsing the sink and making sure she didn't leave a mess. She bent over to get every droplet of water.

After using the bathroom, she went out to the living room, where she found Spencer sitting on the couch with a cup of coffee in one hand and a book in the other.

"Good morning," she said softly.

Spencer looked over his shoulder and smiled at her. She was wearing one of his t-shirts and boxers. She looked adorable.

"Good morning, how did you sleep?" he asked as he placed his book down.

"Very well, thank you. Your home is beautiful," she said.

Spencer looked around his dingy apartment with a frown. He had always considered his home quaint, but never beautiful.

"Thanks," he said as he looked back at her. "Can I get you some coffee? Are you hungry? I could make you some breakfast?"

"A coffee would suffice," she said. "Thank you."

Spencer got up and walked to the kitchen, while Brooke followed quietly behind him. He grabbed a mug out of the cabinet and started filling it.

"Cream and sugar?" he asked.

"A little, please," she said.

Spencer finished making the coffee and handed it to her. As he did this the cup jostled and sloshed over the edge. A little spilled on her hand startling her and she accidentally dropped the cup. It hit the kitchen floor with a crash. Ceramic fragments and hot coffee exploded all over. Brooke dropped to her knees in horror and began hand sweeping the mess frantically.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! It was an accident! I'm so sorry!" she said as the spilled coffee burned her hands.

Spencer bent over to stop her, making her flinch. Curling away from him as if he were about to strike her. He stepped back, startled by her reaction.

"Brooke, it's ok. Stop! I'll get a rag," he said as he spun to grab the dish towel behind him.

He slowly bent down and started wiping up the mess. Brooke had tears in her eyes as she sat looking at her hands. Spencer reached out carefully and touched her arm. She looked up at him and saw the concern in his eyes. She tried not to, but a few tears escaped, sliding down her cheeks.

"Are you hurt?" he said tenderly.

Brooke shook her head as she diverted her eyes to the ground.

"It was an accident," he said in a gentle tone.

"I'm sorry. I can pay you for the cup," she offered as she brushed the tears from her eyes.

"No, there's no need. It's just a cup. I have more. It's really ok," he insisted.

Brooke watched him finish cleaning up the spill and slowly rose to her feet when he did. He tossed the towel into the sink and turned to face her. He gave her a comforting smile.

"How about we go somewhere for breakfast? My treat," he offered.

She seemed surprised by this, but she slowly nodded her head.

(xxxxx)

Spencer slid into the booth across from Brooke. He watched as she gave a small smile to the hostess who handed her a menu.

"Your server will be right with you," the woman said kindly, before leaving them alone.

They silently looked over the menu while they waited for the waitress. He didn't want to get into a discussion until after they ordered so they wouldn't be interrupted. Five minutes later, a short, stocky black woman came to their table.

"Good mornin, how are y'all doin today," she said with a big smile.

"Good thank you, and yourself?" Spencer asked.

"I'm blessed, sugar. Can I start you with something to drink or do y'all already know what you want?" she said as she clutched the notepad in her hand.

"Are you ready?" Spencer said to Brooke, who nodded. "Ladies first."

Brooke blushed as she looked at the shyly at the waitress.

"I'll have the number 3, please," she said softly.

"Do you want bacon or sausage with that?"

"Bacon, please," she said.

"How about a drink, darlin?" the waitress said with a kind smile.

"Water is just fine, thank you," Brooke replied.

"And for you, handsome?"

"I'll have the same thing she's having, with an orange juice, please," he said as he handed her his menu.

"I'll be back with your drinks shortly," the woman said.

Spencer turned his attention to Brooke, who was looking around the diner curiously. When her gaze came back to Spencer's, she blushed and looked down when she saw him watching her.

"Brooke, I just want you to know that I would never hurt you," he said suddenly, causing her to look up at him in surprise. "I don't expect you to tell me about your past, unless you want to, but I need you to know that you are safe with me."

Before she could reply, the waitress brought them their drinks and let them know their food would be out shortly. Spencer thanked her and returned his attention to Brooke, who was fiddling with her napkin.

He wanted to say so much more. He wanted her to feel comfortable around him, but he could see her walls from a mile away. They sat quietly, until the food arrived. Spencer felt helpless as he mindlessly ate his breakfast. Brooke seemed to be doing the same as she slowly cut into her omelet.

"I like being with you," she said softly, making Spencer lean forward to hear her better.

"I like being with you too," he said.

She looked pained by this. He didn't understand why.

"Spencer," she said as she laid her fork down. "I'm not who you think I am."

He furrowed his brow in confusion.

"I don't understand," he said.

She seemed to be having an internal struggle as she debated what to say.

"I'm not a good person. You think I am, but you don't know me," she said sadly.

"So, who are you? Let me get to know you," he said, nearly pleading.

She shook her head.

"It has been nice having someone see me as good. I can't bear the thought of ruining the memory of your loving eyes being full of hate," she said as she looked into his eyes. "I think it would be best if we stop talking to one another."

"What? But we just started … I … Brooke, I would never hate you," he said in desperation.

She reached across the table and gently laid her hand on his. He flipped it to hold her hand tightly as if this would keep her from walking away.

"I'm sorry I hurt you, but you deserve someone better than me. I will only drag you down," she said as she slid out of the booth, her hand still in his.

Spencer hurriedly slid out of his seat. His heart racing and his mind boggled with what was happening.

"Brooke, please. There is nothing you could have done that would make me hate you. Please, let me help you," he said as his lip trembled.

She gently laid her hand on his cheek, before turning and leaving the restaurant. Spencer stood dumbfounded as he watched her leave. As he plopped down into his seat, he saw a ten-dollar bill sticking out from her plate.

"Great," he sighed as he tossed his napkin over his plate.

(xxxxx)

"Is he going to be ok?"

Penelope stood watching Spencer hunched over his desk, pretending to do work, but only staring at the paper in front of him. He had been like that for a week.

"In time," Derek said softly.

They were all surprised to hear that Brooke had broken up with him. He had opened up to Emily about everything Brooke had said to him. To try and make it easier for him to move on, Penelope tried to dig into her past, only to find there was no past to dig in to. She didn't exist as of three months ago.

Emily tried to explain to Spencer that she probably did something terrible and was on the run for it. Therefore, it was best if he stayed away from her. She clearly was hiding something and he didn't need to get caught up in something dangerous.

Not surprising, Spencer was irate that they had gone behind his back and investigated her. He insisted that whatever reason she had for changing her name, had to be a good reason and not because she was involved in some kind of criminal activity.

(xxxxx)

Emily, Penelope, and J.J. were walking home from dinner on their monthly girl's night out. As they strolled the streets, something caught Penelope's eye.

"Is that the bookstore where Brooke works?" Penelope asked.

J.J. and Emily looked at it and looked at her.

"No, we are not going in there. Spence is already pissed at us. I'm not making it worse," J.J. said with her arms folded defiantly across her chest.

"I have to agree with J.J., Garcia. There's nothing we can do. We need to let it go," Emily said.

"My boy wonder is hurting and if I can make it better than I have to," Penelope insisted.

"How can you make it better?" Emily said as she laughed in frustration.

"I don't know, but I have to try!" she said as she stormed into the store.

The bell chimed as she entered. She looked around the store, but only saw a blonde filing her nails behind the counter.

"Excuse me, hi, I'm looking for Brooke Williams," Penelope said as she smiled brightly at the girl.

"She's not working tonight," the girl said as if annoyed by the interruption.

"Oh, hm, that's odd. I was supposed to be meeting her here for girl's night. I guess she forgot. Do you happen to know where she lives? I'll just go pick her up," Penelope said.

The girl stared at her with one pierced eyebrow raised.

"Oh, don't worry. I'm not like a murderer or something. I work for the FBI," she said digging into her pocket and pulling out her credentials.

The girl looked at the credentials and back at Penelope before walking into the office behind the counter. After a minute or so, she returned with a sticky note and handed it to her.

"Thank you for your help …." She drawled out as she looked for a nametag. "Casey."

The girl just nodded as she went back to filing her nails. Penelope hurried out of the bookstore and held up the sticky note.

"Seriously?" Emily said.

"Come on! Let's go save our little boys heart!" Penelope grinned as she trotted down the street.

J.J. looked exasperated at Emily, who just shrugged and followed her friend down the street. Reluctantly, and with a loud groan, J.J. followed as well.

(xxxxx)

After returning to Emily's and getting into her car, they pulled up to a building that made them all frown.

"Thank God I have a gun," Emily said as she stared out her window.

The girls climbed out of the SUV as onlookers stared at them. A few whistled, while some made derogatory comments, but they ignored it and went to the entrance of the building. Stepping in to the building they were met by a tall, muscular security officer.

Emily held up her badge and the officer seemed to relax.

"How can I help you ladies?" he asked.

"We are looking for someone who may live here," Emily stated.

"Just a sec. I'll get the night manager," the man said as he pulled his walkie from his belt clip. "Shawna, we have three agents here looking for a resident."

"Send them back," the reply came.

The officer pointed them to the office and the girls thanked him before walking down the dimly lit hallway. There were a lot of people watching them as they headed for the office. It sent chills down their spines. When they reached the office door, they saw a tall, well-built Hispanic woman waiting for them.

"Hi, I'm Shawna, the night manager, how can I be of assistance?" she asked.

"We are looking for someone who may be living here. She goes by Brooke Williams," Emily said, in her official tone of voice.

"Yes, I know Brooke. She in trouble?" Shawna said with concern.

"No, ma'am, we believe she might be in danger, so it would be best if we could speak with her as soon as possible," Emily said, only partially lying.

"Oh, poor girl. I can't say I'm surprised. She doesn't actually sleep at the shelter anymore. It was too stressful for her. She'd wake up screaming most nights. Eventually, she started living out of her car. She only comes here to get her mail, occasionally eat, and volunteer to do housework," Shawna explained.

J.J. and Penelope looked at one another stunned.

"Do you know where she typically goes for the night?" Emily inquired.

"No, ma'am. Unfortunately, I am not sure. I wish we could have helped her, but she insisted she wasn't fixable. We could never convince her to talk to a counselor," Shawna said.

"Well, hopefully we can help her. Thank you for your time and assistance," Emily said as she shook the woman's hand.

As the girl's climbed back into the car they sat in silence. None of them knew what to say. How much trouble was this girl really in and what was she running from?

(xxxxx)

 _Sorry for the delay in updating this story. To be honest, I wasn't sure where to go. It seemed like I had a great idea and it suddenly disappeared. I'm still struggling a bit with this story, as I rewrote this chapter at least 6 times. I hope you like it! xoxo_


	8. Chapter 8

The girls drove back to Emily's in silence. They were all stunned to learn that Brooke was homeless and essentially living out of her car. This was becoming more troubling by the minute. They trudged into Emily's apartment and sat down in the living room. Their minds spinning with questions and concerns.

"So, what do we do?" Penelope asked softly.

J.J. and Emily exchanged glances.

"Garcia, we don't know what we are getting involved in. It may be best to let it go," Emily said hesitantly.

"What? But … but Brooke could be in danger," Penelope said defensively.

"Which is exactly why we don't need to get involved," J.J. insisted.

"We risk our lives for strangers every day. Why is this any different?"

"Because we weren't called to help her. We don't know what she is hiding from and we don't need to be getting wrapped up in something that could jeopardize our well-being," J.J. said adamantly.

"I can't just pretend I don't know that she could be in trouble. I can't live with the knowledge that maybe we could have helped her, if we had tried," Penelope said with watery eyes.

"Pen, you have a great heart and that's what we love about you. But this … this could be way over our heads," Emily said gently.

"I don't care. If you don't want to help her, I will do it by myself," Penelope said defiantly.

Emily sighed and looked at J.J, before turning her attention back to a frustrated Penelope.

"You know it has nothing to do with not wanting to help her," Emily said softly.

"All I know is, that girl … that sweet girl who seems afraid of her own shadow is in trouble and I can't rest without trying to help her," Penelope said.

"Can we at least think about this before rushing in?" J.J. asked.

"Let's sleep on it and we can reconvene tomorrow to discuss it further," Emily suggested.

Penelope nodded, knowing full well she wasn't going to change her mind, but maybe having a plan would be a better option. J.J. stood up to leave when something dawned on Penelope.

"Do we tell Reid?" she said with worry.

"You saw how mad he got at us for trying to look into her background," J.J. said.

"Which is exactly why I think he should know what's happening. He'll probably want to help," Penelope replied.

"Look, don't do anything until tomorrow after we think this through, understood?" Emily ordered.

J.J. nodded immediately, while Penelope hesitated before giving a reluctant agreement.

(xxxxx)

Penelope wandered into the office exhausted the following morning. She hadn't slept but a few hours due to her brain whirling with thoughts of Brooke. She just knew in her heart that something was wrong and that Brooke needed their help.

As she rounded the corner to her office, she nearly plowed into Derek who jumped back so he didn't spill his coffee.

"Whoa, baby girl. You wanna lift those eyes up from the floor before you hurt yourself," he said with a chuckle.

"Sorry," she said as she walked past him.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked as he followed her into the lair.

"Nothing. I just didn't sleep well," she said as she placed her bag down next to her chair.

"There a reason for that?" he asked as he leaned against her desk.

"Just couldn't get comfortable," she lied.

"Look, you know I don't believe a word of that and I'm not leaving this room until you tell me what's going on," he said folding his arms across his chest.

"Derek, please, just back off ok," she snapped.

His face dropped in surprise. He decided to let it go for now, though it went against every fiber of his being. He put his hands up in surrender and started to walk away.

"I'm sorry," she said softly.

Derek turned around to see her watching him sadly. He nodded his forgiveness and left the room.

(xxxxx)

Emily stared at the door. She knew she shouldn't be doing this, but all night her thoughts of what Brooke could be caught up in nagged her. She felt that she needed to not only protect Spencer, but now she needed to do the same for Penelope. Penelope would be chomping at the bit to jump into action.

She took a deep breath and opened up the bookstore door. The chime sounded and the front clerk, a woman clearly in her 80's looked up with a smile.

"Good morning is there anything I can help you with?" she said with a smile.

"Yes ma'am, I was wondering if your employee Brooke Williams is working today?" Emily asked with a smile of her own.

"Oh, yes, she's here. She just went into the storage room to get a box for me. She should be out momentarily," the woman said.

"Thank you, I'll just wait for her over here," Emily said as she stepped off to the side.

Within minutes, Emily spotted Brooke carrying a large box toward the front counter.

"There are three more boxes of these, Gloria. Did you want them all?" Brooke said, not noticing Emily.

"No, dear. This should suffice. You actually have a visitor," she said pointing to Emily.

Brooke looked in that direction and her face instantly paled. She excused herself from Gloria and walked over to Emily.

"Hi," she said looking terrified.

"Hi Brooke, I'm sorry to bother you at work, but do you have a few minutes to talk?"

"Um, I guess so," she said reluctantly.

Brooke walked off to a table near the café. She sat down and folded her hands together nervously, while Emily sat down across from her.

"I suppose you are here regarding Spencer," Brooke said looking guilt ridden.

"Actually, I'm here to ask if you are ok?" Emily began.

Brooke couldn't hide the surprise on her face.

"I'm ok," she said clearly confused by this question.

"Look, I am very protective of my family and when Spencer told me what happened the day you broke up with him, I got concerned," Emily started to explain.

Brooke looked wide eyed at her.

"What's going on, Brooke? I know that Brooke Williams isn't your real name and that you live out of your car. Are you in danger? We can help you if you are," she said with sincerity.

By now Brooke had broken eye contact with Emily. She was staring at the table, her face turning red with embarrassment.

"Let us help you," Emily offered again.

She saw tears dropping on to the wooden table. Brooke wiped her face and sat up straighter. She took a deep, calming breath before looking Emily in the eyes.

"I tried to tell Spencer to stay away from me. I am not a good person, Emily," Brooke wavered.

"Brooke, we can help you. I'm sure whatever it is, it's not nearly as bad as you think," Emily tried, but was interrupted.

"I killed someone."

(xxxxx)

Brooke sat handcuffed to the metal table. She knew it was only a matter of time before she was caught for her crime. She should have known better than to get involved with Spencer, especially given that he was FBI. She was stupid enough to convince herself that her past wouldn't reveal itself sooner or later.

The door to the interrogation room opened and Brooke's heart plummeted when she saw Spencer walking into the room. Her eyes instantly filled with tears as she saw the hurt, the anger, the confusion written all over his face.

He sat down across from her without a word and stared at her. She couldn't bring herself to look up from the table. If she could get any lower in her seat, she would have melted into the table.

"What is your name?" Spencer asked almost callously.

"Danielle Evanson," she replied in a broken voice.

"Who did you kill?" he said.

"My father," she said.

"When?"

"16 years ago," she answered.

(xxxxx)

 _Danielle stood in the darkness of the room. Her hands were shaking as she held the metal weapon in her hand. She could hear the sounds of footsteps coming closer. The door to the room opened and a tall figure walked in. She closed her eyes and BANG! BANG! BANG!_

(xxxxx)

Danielle's thoughts were interrupted by Spencer standing up and walking out of the room. She laid her head down on the table as she began to cry. Her past came crashing down around her. All the memories, flooding back.

Behind the two-way mirror, Spencer entered the room with a furrowed brow.

"Something doesn't feel right," he said to Hotch, who was standing with Rossi, Emily, and J.J.

J.J. pulled out her phone and held it out for the others to hear.

"Ask and receive," Penelope answered.

"Garcia, can you look up information on Danielle Evanson from Pennsylvania?" J.J. said.

"Just a sec," Penelope said and the sound of typing could be heard.

"Danielle Evanson, born March 5, 1992. Father, George Evanson worked as a maintenance technician. Mother, Patricia Evanson is a psychologist. She has one sibling, a brother, John Evanson, who has been in and out of jail for the past 8 years for drug possession," she began.

"What is the date of George Evanson's death?" Spencer piped in.

"There is no record of his death. However, his last day of work was recorded as July 3, 1998. After that he seemed to have dropped off the radar," Penelope said.

"So, the timeline matches," Emily said with a frown.

"But it doesn't make sense. How did a 10-year-old child kill her father and nobody knows about it? There's no death certificate, no police report, nothing," Spencer said.

"The weirder thing is it's like these kids didn't even exist. They have no record of attending any schools. Neither of them have employment records, medical records. They only exist based off of their birth certificates," Penelope relayed.

"Garcia, is there an address and phone number to contact Mrs. Evanson?" Hotch asked.

"Sending it to your phones now," she said.

(xxxxx)

The door opened to the interrogation room again and Danielle instantly sat back up, trying to hide her tears. Spencer placed a box of tissues on the table and gently pushed them toward her. He slowly walked around the table and bent down near her. She leaned away from him nervously.

"It's ok. I'm just going to take the cuffs off," he said softly.

She hesitated but held out her hands as he unlocked the handcuffs and removed them from her. She rubbed her wrists as Spencer walked back around the table and sat down.

"Would you prefer if I call you by your real name?" he asked.

She slowly looked up at him and tried to read his face. Before leaving, he was very angry at her and now he seemed to be pitying her. He saw the worry in her eyes.

"It's not a trick question. I just want you to feel as comfortable as possible," he said sincerely.

She wrapped her arms around her middle and bit her bottom lip nervously.

"Brooke," she whispered. "I want to be Brooke."

He didn't miss that fact that she said she wanted to be, rather than she wanted to be called.

"Ok, Brooke it is," he said with a small smile. "I know this is difficult for you and I am sure you don't want to relive your past, but I'd like to ask you some questions regarding the night you believe you killed your father."

She nodded her head as her lip trembled.

"Can you tell me why you believe you killed him?" he started.

"Because I shot him," she said staring teary-eyed at the table.

"Was it intentional?"

Brooke nodded. Spencer watched her closely.

"Why did you do it?" he asked.

Brooke shrugged.

"Can you walk me through what happened?"

She took a deep breath. Her hands were clenched tightly together.

"It was 4th of July …"

(xxxxx)

 _Brooke stood in the middle of the bedroom waiting. Her heart was pounding as she held tightly to the gun in her hand. Outside the sounds of fireworks could be heard and she hummed softly to herself as she waited._

 _She wasn't sure how long she had been standing there, but she couldn't leave until she finished what she needed to do. Finally, she heard the sound of footsteps growing louder. She held the gun out in front of her and held her breath._

 _The door opened and a shadowy figure walked into the room. She fired off the gun three times. She walked over to the body laying on the floor and saw three bloody holes. One in the chest, one in the head, and one in the shoulder. She placed the gun on top of her father, stepped over his body, and went down the stairs to wait in the living room for her mother's return._

(xxxxx)

Spencer listened intently to Brooke explain what happened that night. Tears streamed from Brooke's eyes as she pulled a tissue out of the box and quietly wiped her nose.

"You mentioned fireworks, so this happened at night?" Spencer asked.

Brooke nodded.

"Did you ever use a gun before? Like target practice or hunting?" he asked.

"No, that was the first and last time," she said.

"Do you know what kind of a gun it was?"

"No … um … it was like the ones in movies. Small and black," she said.

"Where did you get the gun?" he questioned.

"Um, it was in the bedside table. My dad's side."

Spencer took his gun out of his harness making Brooke jump a bit. He emptied it of its bullets and placed the gun in front of her.

"Can you show me how you held the gun when you shot it?" he said.

Brooke hesitantly took the gun and held it in her hand. She angled herself away from Spencer and aimed the gun at the wall.

"Good," he said and she placed it back down on the table slowly. "Brooke, you are doing great. I'm going to step out for a few minutes, but I'll be back. Just relax, ok?"

She seemed very confused by his kindness but nodded anyway.

Spencer stood up and walked out of the room. He placed his gun and the bullets on the table as he entered the other room that held his teammates.

"She didn't do this, Hotch. She fully believes she did, but she did not kill her father," Spencer said. "I know you think I'm too close to this, but I'm not. She didn't do this. I just know it."

"Reid," Hotch interrupted. "We don't believe she did it either. Morgan and Prentiss are trying to locate Mrs. Evanson to bring her in for questioning."

They all turned and looked at the terrified girl sitting in that room. She was rocking herself slowly in the chair. Her eyes darting nervously around the room. There was much more to this story and they were determined to find out the truth.

(xxxxx)

 _Boy I really struggle with this story! I have to do research sometimes too and I'm sure if like the government went through my history I would be flagged! Haha – nope not a psychopath – just a fanfiction writer. Anyway, I hope this seems realistic. I'm trying very hard to think everything through and hope it makes sense._

 _Please comment and let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions or I have made any errors let me know! Thanks! xoxo_


	9. Chapter 9

Derek and Emily pulled up to the farmhouse after a short flight and a thirty-minute drive. The house was disheveled as though nobody lived there. Emily looked at Derek leerily. She could see he was as apprehensive about this as she was. They walked up the creaking wooden stairs and took a deep breath before knocking on the door.

Moments later the door cracked open and a rotund woman with messy blond hair glared at them.

"Can I help you?"

Her voice was gruff and the smell of cigarettes wafted through the door. Derek and Emily held up their badges.

"Ma'am we are looking to speak with Patricia Evanson," Derek said as he put his badge away.

"You've found her," she said still peering through the cracked door.

"Mrs. Evanson, we are with the FBI and would like to bring you to our Bureau Police Department to discuss your daughter, Danielle," Derek explained.

Her angry demeanor instantly disappeared as an overdramatic concern crossed her face.

"Danielle? You've found her? Is she alright? What happened?" Patricia said as she opened the door wider.

"Ma'am, we'd like to discuss this at the station if it's alright with you," Derek tried again.

Mrs. Evanson looked down at her robe and slippers.

"Well, I wasn't expecting company. Would it be alright if I get dressed before we go?" she asked.

"Absolutely, we will wait out front for you. Take your time," Emily said as they turned and walked down the stairs.

(xxxxx)

While they waited for Derek and Emily to arrive with Mrs. Evanson, Spencer had taken some food in for Brooke to eat. He didn't question her any further at this time. He let her eat in peace, while the others began putting together the facts of what they learned so far.

When they got word of Mrs. Evanson's arrival, the team went to greet them. Spencer felt his stomach clench in disgust and anger when he saw the woman before him. She had cleaned herself up well and smiled as she was introduced to everyone.

"Where is my Danielle? May I see her?" she asked after introductions.

"Actually, we would like to speak with you separately first," Derek said.

"Ok," she said hesitantly. "She's alright though?"

"Yes, ma'am. Danielle is fine," Emily said. "If you'll come with us, we can get started, so you can see your daughter."

Spencer didn't even realize he was scowling at her until J.J. elbowed him.

"Calm down," she whispered.

He unclenched his fists and looked around to see if anyone else noticed, but they all seemed to be focused on Mrs. Evanson. Derek and Emily went to interview her, while Hotch stood watch on the other side of the glass.

Spencer, J.J., and Rossi went back to watch Brooke. Spencer decided to go in and check on her. When he opened the door, she sat up straighter, but avoided eye contact.

"I couldn't find a trash can. Where should I put my trash?" she asked.

"I'll take care of it. Just leave it there," he said as he sat down. "Can I get you anything else? Did you have enough to eat?"

"That was plenty, thank you. Who should I pay for the meal?" she said looking up at him.

"No one. It was on the house," he said.

"Oh, ok. Thank you," she said again.

Spencer watched her carefully as he decided to try something.

"We were able to contact your mom," he started.

Brooke's head shot up and her eyes grew larger.

"My mother?" she said.

"Yea, Morgan and Emily are in the other room talking to her now," Spencer said.

Brooke looked toward the wall, as if she could see her mom through the concrete. She started shaking and her skin paled.

"She's here? Sssshhhe's here?" she stuttered.

"Yea, she wants to see you," he told her.

"No, please no!" Brooke said as she jumped up from her seat. "Please, no! Please don't let her in here! Please, I'm sorry! I'm sorry I was bad! I didn't mean to do it! I'm sorry I was bad! Please no!"

Brooke backed up to a corner and slid to the floor, cowering. Tears streamed from her eyes as Spencer hurried over to her. He tried to reach out to comfort her, but she shrieked and slapped his hands away.

"Please no! I'm sorry I was a bad girl! Please!" she continued to wail.

Spencer looked back at the two-way mirror in shock. He looked back at this grown woman sobbing and pleading like a helpless child. His heart ached for her and he suddenly hated himself for telling her that her mom was here.

"Brooke, look at me," he said as he tried to comfort her again.

She screamed out in horror, but he didn't stop trying to calm her down.

"Brooke, it's Spencer, look at me, it's Spencer," he repeated until she looked at him with terrified eyes. "I won't let her near you. Do you hear me? I won't let her anywhere near you. I promise."

Brooke was shaking and crying, but he could see the recognition and understanding in her eyes.

"I won't let anything happen to you, ok? Everything is ok. You are safe with me," he said as he finally was able to get her into his arms.

She curled against his chest as she continued to sob. Spencer gently rubbed her back as he tried to soothe her. He had suspected it, but now he knew he had been right. He hated being right for once. This sweet woman that he had been so intrigued by was suffering severe PTSD from child abuse. To what extent he didn't know, but he feared finding out just how deep her pain went.

(xxxxx)

 _Thank you to everyone encouraging me to write this story – I hope you are ok with some of the minor changes. I will be off the next two weeks, so I'm hoping to have time to write and more inspiration! Thank you for the comments and feel free to leave more :) xoxo_


	10. Chapter 10

It had been a half hour since Brooke had her meltdown. Spencer still sat with his back against the wall, with his arm draped over her shoulder. She sat silently staring at her sneakers. Neither of them knowing what to say to the other.

The door to the room opened and Spencer felt Brooke immediately tense up. She pressed herself further against him as J.J. entered the room. Spencer lightly rubbed Brooke's arm and whispered words of comfort to her.

J.J. cautiously approached the two before sitting down cross-legged in front of them. She gave Spencer an empathetic smile before turning her attention to Brooke, who was still staring at her feet. Her eyes bloodshot and swollen.

"Brooke, I know this is very difficult for you," she said softly. "We want to help you, but in order to do so, we're going to have to ask you questions about your past."

Brooke didn't say anything, but slowly nodded her head. Spencer gently kissed her temple to reassure her.

"We want this to be as easy for you as possible. Would you be ok with me asking you the questions?" she said.

Brooke seemed to think for a moment before nodding. J.J. looked at Spencer before her next question. As if warning him he may not like what it is or what the answer may be.

"Would you feel more comfortable if it was just the two of us?" she asked.

For the first time, Brooke looked up from her shoes. She looked at J.J. and then slowly turned her attention to Spencer. He gave her a small smile.

"It's ok if you want me to leave. I won't be upset with you," he said.

Brooke stared at him before looking back down at her sneakers. It was so quiet in the room while they waited for her answer, Spencer swore you could hear the Earth moving.

"No," she said in a gruff voice that was barely audible. "He can stay. I would like him to stay."

Brooke grabbed his hand and held it tightly in her own. He made her feel safe, even though she didn't want him to know how horrible she was.

"Do you feel more comfortable sitting like this? Or would you prefer we sit at the table?" J.J. said as she gestured to the big table behind her.

"Here, please," Brooke replied.

"Ok, I'm going to write a few things down while we talk. If you need a break at any time, please let me know and we can stop, ok?" J.J. said gently.

Brooke nodded. J.J. took a deep breath and looked at the pad of white paper on her lap.

"We didn't see any records of schooling. Did you go ever go to school?"

"No, we weren't allowed," Brooke said.

"We? Your brother, John?" J.J. asked.

"Yes. Mother said school was where the devil went to capture sinners. She said I had so much sin in me that she had to fight him out of the house daily."

Spencer had to bite his tongue. What utter nonsense! J.J. shot him a glance and he swallowed down his anger.

"Did she teach you at home?" J.J. wondered.

"Not me. She tried occasionally with John, but she said I was not the type of person who could be taught anything. I believe her exact words were 'if it weren't for the fact I was somewhat pleasing to the eye, she would've put me down like a horse.'

Mother said I was what society called a retard. That if I went to school all the kids would laugh at me and the teacher would beat me because I was too stupid to understand the basics," she said monotone.

Spencer was clearly seething, but right now his job was to comfort her. Not run to her rescue, but boy did he hope he could have a second alone with Mrs. Evanson. She'd never see it coming.

"Brooke, you realize that isn't true, right? That you aren't stupid and you definitely don't qualify as mentally handicapped," J.J. said with her own hint of anger.

Brooke shrugged. Sometimes she believed that she wasn't anything like her mother claimed she was and other days it consumed her. Every thought was of how she was a waste of the air she was breathing.

"Brooke, I'm a certified genius, am I not?" Spencer interrupted. She nodded her agreement to this statement. "So, I would obviously be able to tell whether a person was smart or stupid, would I not?" Again, she nodded her agreement.

"Then I can assure you, you are very smart. What your mother said about you is the furthest from the truth and is a reflection on her self-doubt and confidence, not on yours. Weak people pray on the innocent, Brooke. Your mother prayed on your innocence."

J.J. held up a hand to signal for Spencer to stop. He was getting upset and right now as much as he wanted to make her feel better they needed to focus on the issue at hand. Was she a murderer or not?

"Sorry," Spencer mumbled.

"It's ok. It's not that I don't agree with what you are saying, because Brooke, he is 100% accurate," J.J. said. "But right now, our job is to help clear your name. To save you from being wrongfully accused of a crime."

Brooke nodded her understanding and Spencer sat back, resigned to keep himself in check. J.J. looked at her list again before looking at Brooke. "Tell me a little about your father."

"My Papa used to read to me at night. He told me some day I would be just like the women in these fairytales. That I would be freed from the life I was living and find my place in the world," she said as a tear slipped from her eye.

"Your Papa, he was nice to you?" J.J. asked.

Brooke nodded as her lip trembled. J.J. suddenly produced a tissue and handed it Brooke, who used it to dab at her nose. They waited as she composed herself a little bit before continuing.

"He was the kindest man. He would sneak me food some nights and he always said goodnight to me. I always dreamed of him coming home one day, demanding that my brother and I go to his car where we would drive away into the sunset," she said before dropping her head. "But he never did."

(xxxxx)

 _Brooke sat in her cage in the garage. She had been denied dinner because she sneezed while dusting the living room._

" _Great! All that cleaning and you just expelled your germs all over the place!"_

 _Her stomach was grumbling and she desperately wanted something to eat. She looked around for any crumbs on the floor, but there was nothing to be found. She had just curled into a ball to try and sleep, when the side door to the garage squeaked open._

 _She sat up startled. A flashlight was the only thing she could see in the darkness. Her heart began to race as she wondered who had broken in. The flashlight lit up her cage for a moment, making her recoil and throw her arm over her eyes._

 _The light flicked off her quickly and she blinked as her eyes tried to adjust._

" _Bella, I have something for you."_

 _She sighed in relief. It was Papa. He was crouched in front of her cage with something in his hand. She reached through the bars and grabbed the item from his hand. Papa shined the light on the glorious item in her hand._

" _It's a strawberry fruit bar. Eat it quickly before Momma finds out," he said softly._

 _She didn't have to be told twice. In less than 5 seconds the fruit bar had been devoured. It wasn't enough to fill her stomach, but it did help with the pain._

" _Thank you, Papa," she whispered._

" _I have to go before Momma sees that I'm missing. Be a good girl," he said before walking off._

" _Papa?" Brooke called out._

" _Yes, Bella?"_

" _I love you."_

" _I love you, Princess."_

 _(xxxxx)_

Spencer and J.J. sat in stunned silence listening to Brooke's horrifying memory.

"You slept in a cage?" Spencer finally choked out.

"Mm hmm. Mother said I wasn't worthy of living in the house, so I was banished to the garage. At first, I was allowed to sleep wherever I wanted, but after she found me eating out of the trash cans without permission I was no longer allowed to roam free."

"You have got to be kidding me," Spencer said in shock.

"I know, but I was so hungry. I didn't mean to do it. I just wanted to stop the pain," she said as her face turned red.

"Brooke, I'm not talking about what you did. What you did was completely understandable. I'm talking about your mom. What she did is incomprehensible!" he said.

"If I would've just behaved I could've been in the house. It's not her fault Spencer. It's my fault. I should have been a better girl! You don't understand! You think I'm such a good person, but if you would just listen to me, you would know the truth!" Brooke said.

"I am listening to you and none of this is your fault!"

Brooke was beginning to get distressed, while Spencer's anger boiled over the edge.

"Ok, ok!" J.J. interrupted. "Why don't we take a break. I think Brooke could use a moment to herself. Spencer why don't you step outside and get some fresh air."

"I don't need fresh air," he snapped.

The door swung open and Hotch poked his head in.

"Reid, I need to see you a moment."

Spencer rolled his eyes and got up from the floor, storming out of the room. Brooke curled into herself and began to cry silently.

"Can I get you anything?" J.J. asked gently.

"No thank you."

Brooke's voice was broken and it tore J.J. up inside. She took a deep breath, stood up, and walked out of the room to go find Spencer. She didn't have far to go as she could hear him angrily hollering at who she assumed was Hotch.

"She is brainwashed!"

J.J. entered the room and saw Spencer pacing the room, while Hotch and Rossi stood by watching him.

"Reid, you knew that going into this. You knew you were going to hear some very difficult things – "

"But this is beyond cruel, Hotch! This is … this is … I can't even think of a word to describe it!"

"No one disagrees with you, but we are no help to her if we keep personalizing this. Our goal is to figure out what happened to her father and clear her name. We are not psychologists. We are not getting anywhere trying to fix her," Hotch said strictly, though his eyes expressed compassion and understanding. "All that is doing is stressing her out more."

"There is no doubt she is in trouble. Once we clear her name, we can get her the help she needs. Right now, we need you to be focused and strong for her. We need your brain in the game, kid," Rossi said.

Spencer leaned against the table with a sigh. They were right, of course. He was letting the injustice get to him. He wanted to protect her from her past, but nothing could be done to change it. He had to put aside his emotions for the time being and figure out how to save this girl he cared so deeply about.

(xxxxx)

 _W/N:_

 _Oy, still struggling with this damn story! I tried to work on it, but just felt I wasn't getting anywhere. It's a good challenge, but definitely making it harder for me to get out chapters. Hope you liked this one. Thanks for the support and love the comments! xoxo_


	11. Chapter 11

While everyone had been occupied with Brooke, Derek and Emily were in another interrogation room talking with Patricia Evanson. For anyone who wasn't trained in reading others, Patricia came across as a concerned and loving mother. However, Emily and Derek could see right through her.

Once they brought her into the room, Patricia seemed to go a little stiff. She looked around the rectangular room before settling her eyes on Derek.

"If you hadn't told me otherwise, I would think you were interrogating me," she laughed, though her expression was anything but amused.

Derek and Emily both played along and chuckled.

"No, ma'am. This is not the type of interrogation you are probably thinking of. This is standard procedure when trying to process a criminal," Derek said as he sat down.

"You mean my daughter?"

"Yes, ma'am," Derek said.

"Oh sweetie, don't call me ma'am. Makes me sound old," she laughed. "Please call me Patricia."

"Ok, Patricia it is. Would you like to take a seat?"

He gestured toward the chair across from him and Emily. Patricia nodded and sat herself down in the metal chair.

"Not much for comfort, huh?" she said as she wiggled in the seat.

"Sadly, the budget doesn't allow for recliners," Emily said with a fake smile on her face.

Patricia smiled, but was watching Emily carefully.

"I guess we should start at the beginning. What can you tell us about Danielle?" Derek said.

Patricia leaned back casually and looked to the ceiling.

"Well, she was always a troubled girl. When she was just able to walk she was always hitting, scratching, punching, and biting us. She would see things that didn't exist and was always telling tall tales. She swore I was out to get her. Very paranoid. Being a psychologist, I was able to diagnose her with Schizophrenia. It was heartbreaking as a mother to watch my child suffer from such a terrible disorder."

"Isn't it rare for a child to be diagnosed with Schizophrenia?" Emily said with a furrowed brow.

"It is, but doesn't mean it doesn't happen," Patricia replied curtly.

"She wasn't alluding to you being a liar. These are just questions that we have to ask," Derek said.

Patricia glared at Emily. It was clear she disliked her, which was fine by Emily. The feeling was more than mutual.

"Is the Schizophrenia the reason that there are no school records for Danielle?" Derek asked.

"I will admit I was afraid of how the others would treat my daughter, so I decided to homeschool her and her brother."

"With homeschooling, there are usually records of test scores and such to prove the child is meeting the appropriate standards," Emily interjected.

"What is your name again?"

Patricia was shooting daggers at Emily. Part of Emily knew she should back off. They wanted her to cooperate as much as possible and hopefully implicate herself in the process. But another part of her was loving the fact she was getting under this woman's skin.

"Agent Prentiss," Emily said with a slight smile.

"Well, _Agent Prentiss,"_ she snarled her name. "It was different times back then. No one asked and I was not responsible to report to anyone."

Emily nodded and looked to Derek for him to continue his questioning. She was enjoying the good cop, bad cop routine a bit too much.

"I'm sure this is difficult for you, Patricia. But I need to know about the relationship your daughter had with her father," Derek said as he ignored the tension in the room.

"Oh, poor George. He tried his best with Danielle, but she was just such an angry little girl. I remember one time in particular, when George had tried to teach Danielle how to play baseball with her brother. She was supposed to throw the ball to her brother, but instead threw the ball straight at George. He wasn't expecting it and the ball hit him in the nose.

While I was helping clean up his bloody nose, Danielle was standing behind us laughing. She enjoyed watching her father in pain. I should have known some day she would do something terrible."

(xxxxx)

 _It was a warm summer day. Brooke sat in the grass watching her brother and father play a game of catch. She always wanted to play with them but was never allowed. Mama said that girls don't play sports._

 _The back door opened and Brooke watched as Mama walked out with a tray of fresh lemonade. It looked so delicious and refreshing on this hot day._

" _George! John! Come get some lemonade," she called to them._

 _The boys walked over and Brooke watched her brother greedily gulp down the iced drink. Her father held his glass and looked over at Brooke with a frown. She watched him say something to her Mama and heard, "no, she can't have sweets. It makes her hyper."_

 _Her father placed the full glass back down on the tray. Mama glared at him a moment. Then a smile crossed her face. It was a creepy smile. One of her idea smiles. Brooke watched as Mama walked down the porch steps and picked up the white baseball from the grass._

 _She lightly bounced it in her hand before turning her gaze to Brooke._

" _Danielle, come play catch with me."_

 _Brooke stared in shock. Clearly, she heard that wrong._

" _Well, don't just sit there like a dummy. Get up and grab your brother's glove."_

 _She glanced at her father to confirm that this was actually being asked of her. He nodded, but his expression was weary. Brooke stood up and wandered over to her brother's abandoned glove and picked it up. She held her hand out like she saw him do and waited for the ball._

 _Mama threw it to her and she missed the ball. As she ran to get it, she could hear her Mama laughing._

" _You are so stupid you can't even catch a ball," she laughed._

 _Brooke picked up the ball and hurried back to where she stood before. She did her best to throw the ball to her Mama, but it just flopped to the ground and rolled a few feet in front of her. She ran to it and tried again. All while her Mama laughed hysterically at her._

 _Finally, she got the ball and tossed it to her Mama. She was walking back to her spot when she heard Mama call her name. She turned around and felt a crushing blow to her nose. She could feel the warm blood streaming from her throbbing nose as tears filled her eyes._

 _She heard Papa yelling something at Mama as he scooped her into his arms and raced for the kitchen. A cold rag was placed over her face as Mama cackled behind her._

" _She should've caught the ball. It's not my fault she sucks at playing catch."_

 _After she was cleaned up and given a bag of ice. Papa went to lay her on the couch._

" _Don't you dare put her on that furniture! Her disgusting blood may get all over my cushions!"_

" _Patricia, I am not putting her in the cage right now!"_

" _Then put her on a towel in the bathroom!"_

" _Patricia!"_

 _She heard the sound of slapping, but her vision was blurred from the wound. She didn't need to see to know that it was Mama hitting her Papa. As usual, she won and Brooke was placed in her cage, but this time, her Papa snuck a towel in for her to lay her head on._

" _I'm so sorry, Bella. Someday we will be free. Someday," he said as he gave her a kiss, locked the cage, and went back into the house._

(xxxxx)

Spencer walked back into the room with his head hung low. He asked to get a few moments alone with Brooke. He knew if he didn't talk to her alone he would continue to interrupt J.J.'s questioning. As he made his way over to Brooke, she looked up at him with shame filled eyes.

"Spencer, I'm … I'm so sorry that I brought you into all of this," she apologized.

"Brooke, please stop apologizing. You have done nothing wrong," he said as she dropped her head.

Spencer knelt in front of her and reached out his hand. He placed it tenderly on her chin and lifted it so their eyes could lock.

"I know this is difficult for you to believe, but you are a wonderful person. What happened in your past was beyond your control and I hope when this is all cleared you will still want to be my friend," he said.

He saw her eyes widen a bit in surprise.

"You … you want to be my friend still?"

"I have enjoyed our time together and would be honored to continue getting to know you. Not the person you were raised to think you are, the actual person you are. The smart, funny, and brave woman you are."

Tears, once again, slipped down her cheek.

"What have I done to deserve someone like you?" she stammered.

Spencer reached out, wrapping his arms around her tightly.

"We will get through this Brooke. I promise I will help you every step of the way. You will get the life you deserve," he assured her as they held one another tightly.

At that moment the door opened, the two immediately separating.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we really need to continue," J.J. said sheepishly.

"It's ok. I'm ready," Brooke replied as she grabbed Spencer's hand.

He gave her a gentle smile and took his seat beside her.

(xxxxx)

 _I can't believe how wonderful you have all been! Your encouragement has meant so much to me and given me the drive to try and write more. Special thank you to the guest who said I made her bad day better! To know I'm helping someone feel good means the world to me! So thank you all so much from the bottom of my heart! xoxox_


	12. Chapter 12

It had been a few hours of interviewing both Brooke and Patricia and they still had no proof of Brooke's innocence. The team was gathered in the conference room, giving both women a break. Although it was more for theirs and Brooke's sake.

Spencer rested his head on his folded arms that lay on the wooden table. His brain running through Brooke's stories over and over in hopes that something might jump out at him. But he knew he was too close to the case. He couldn't look beyond the pain Brooke had suffered.

He had a difficult childhood as well, but it looked laughable when compared to hers. He wanted to remember to call his mom later and remind her how much he loved her. Despite her illness, she always made sure Spencer knew he was loved.

The door to the conference room opened and Hotch stepped inside.

"I just received a call that the possible remains of George Evanson have been found. They are sending it to the ME as we speak. As soon as the results are in we should have some more information regarding the possible cause of death," he said.

"Not like that will be much help after 16 years," Derek sighed.

"She had a great relationship with her father. I just don't understand why she would choose to kill him," J.J. said to no one in particular.

"And we ruled out that she was trying to shoot her mom, but shot her dad by mistake?" Emily chimed in.

"She said she had to kill her father. She doesn't know why. She just knows that she had to do it," Spencer muttered as he propped his chin on his arms now.

"None of this makes any sense!" Derek said as he leaned back in his chair. His hands running across his bald head. "Her mother tortures her daily and the one person she has on her side, who could save her from this life, she kills him?"

"Have we had any progress on locating her brother?" Rossi inquired.

"Garcia is still searching, but like Brooke it seems he isn't using his real name," Hotch replied.

"So, to quote boy genius, we are looking for a specific needle in a stack of needles," Derek said in frustration.

Spencer stood up from his chair suddenly and started toward the door.

"Reid?" Hotch called out questioningly.

"I'm going to go talk with Brooke. See if there's anything I can get her," he said sadly before exiting.

"If it weren't for bad luck, that kid wouldn't have any luck at all," Rossi said.

(xxxxx)

Spencer found Brooke in the same spot she had been when he'd left over 30 minutes ago. She gave him a small smile that he returned as he walked over to sit beside her. He lifted his arm to pull her closer to his body. Once her head was snuggled into his chest she sighed.

"When I was little my Papa read me a story once about a princess who had been trapped in a tower her entire life –"

"Rapunzel," Spencer interjected.

"It was similar to her story, minus the long hair. When she was rescued and in the arms of her prince she said that no matter where she was as long as she had him by her side she was home. I didn't understand what that meant or if it was even real. I imagined that it was something that fairytale characters felt, but not someone in real life."

There was a long pause, while Brooke summoned the courage to speak again.

"I know what that means now."

Her voice barely audible, but Spencer heard it loud and clear. He pulled her tighter into his body and placed a kiss to her head.

"That is the nicest thing I think anyone ever said to me," he said as he rested his chin on top of her head. "I know we haven't known each other long and it has certainly been quite the roller coaster, but I really like you Brooke. I could fall in love with you."

Brooke sat up at that statement and stared back at him with tears glistening in her eyes. He watched as her eyes studied his, searching for the truth. He moved slowly forward and gently placed a kiss to her lips. It was chaste, but very meaningful.

"I'm going to rescue you from the tower. I promise," he whispered as their foreheads touched.

Brooke nodded as she bit her lip to keep from crying. She wanted to believe him so badly. She wanted to believe in fairytales despite her past telling her otherwise. And she so badly wanted Spencer to be her hero.

(xxxxx)

Patricia looked at her watch in annoyance and sighed loudly. They said she wasn't a suspect and yet she could tell they were clearly keeping her here as if she was one. Just when she thought she would scream from the silence, the door swung open and in walked a new agent she hadn't spoken with.

"Mrs. Evanson?" the salt and pepper haired agent asked.

"Patricia, is fine," she said.

He watched as her irritation slipped from view. He held up a Styrofoam box and a bottle of water.

"I thought you could use something to eat. It isn't much, but it's fresh," he said handing her the container. "Chicken salad sandwich with chips."

"That's very kind of _you_ ," she said with a cocked eyebrow.

"Agent Rossi," he said.

"Well, thank you Agent Rossi. I was getting hungry," she said with a smile.

Rossi returned the smile and started to leave when she called out to him.

"Wait, you aren't staying?"

"I hadn't planned on it," he said. "Did you need company?"

"If you would be so kind. These walls are a little unsettling," she said.

On the other side of the glass, Hotch and Emily stood watching this interaction. Emily made a guffaw sound, prompting Hotch to look her way.

"She finds it unsettling. Imagine how her child felt being locked in a cage most of her life," she snarled.

It was as though a lightbulb had gone off in Hotch's mind.

"That's it," he said as he hurried off, with Emily trailing after him.

"What? What's it?" she said, but he didn't answer. He went straight for the room holding Brooke and burst through the door. Spencer and Brooke jumped at the sound.

"Brooke, you said you were kept in a cage daily?" he said without preempt.

She looked at Spencer who nodded his encouragement to her.

"Um, yes sir," she answered softly.

"When were you allowed out?" he asked.

"When Mama needed me to clean or sometimes I was allowed out at meal times. That was rare though. Typically, if I got fed Mama would put me in the backyard with a dog bowl," she said.

"So, you weren't allowed to wander around the house freely?"

"No, Mama said that I was too filthy to be in the house. That I was a mutt who belonged in the yard."

"Brooke, this is very important, I need you to really think about this before you answer," Hotch said as he kneeled down in front of her. "On the night you allegedly shot your father, how were you able to be in the bedroom. Who let you out of the cage?"

Spencer's face lit up with understanding. His jaw dropped and he looked from Hotch to Emily, who had realized what was going on as well. Brooke's brow was furrowed as she sat quietly thinking over what happened that night.

"Close your eyes. Visualize that night," Hotch encouraged.

Brooke obeyed and closed her eyes.

"It's hazy. I … I'm not real sure … I remember not feeling well. Mama had allowed me to eat a hamburger since it was a special day and I felt sick after eating it," she began.

"What did you feel?" Spencer asked.

"I felt dizzy and sick to my stomach. Mama put me in the cage in case I threw up. She didn't want me to ruin her carpets," she said. Her eyes still closed as she relived that day.

"What happened next?" Hotch said.

"I think I fell asleep. I remember laying down in the cage, but I have no memory of what happened after that. I … I heard a noise … it woke me."

"What noise?" Hotch pressed.

"Um, a creeking sound. The door. It was the side door. Someone is whispering something to me. I'm too dizzy and nauseous to do anything. They keep repeating it over and over. I can't … whatever they are saying to me … I'm crying and throwing up. I want out, but she won't let me. I beg her to kill me, but she won't."

"Who? Who is she?" Hotch asked.

"Mama. She is there. She won't help me. She won't let me out," Brooke said as tears streamed from her shut eyes.

"What was she whispering?"

"I don't know. I don't know. I don't know," she said as she shook her head in frustration.

"Listen. Listen closely to her. What is she saying Brooke?"

Brooke squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to focus on what was being said to her.

"She is telling me my Papa is dead. That I did it. That I killed him. She said that I shot him," Brooke's eyes popped open. She looked at Hotch with horror in her eyes. "I did it! I killed him! Just like I told you!"

"No Brooke! You didn't! Don't you see what happened?" Spencer said as he grasped both her arms, forcing her to look at him. "You didn't kill him. You were drugged and locked in your cage. You didn't kill him. It was a set up. Your mom was setting you up."

"What?" she shook her head in disbelief and looked from Spencer to Hotch.

"You didn't do this," Emily said with tears in her eyes and a smile on her face. "Brooke, you are innocent."

"But … but the time lapse …" she trailed off.

"Brooke, you were a very sick child. There is no way in your condition you would have been able to escape from your cage, let alone shoot someone three times. Odds are you passed out due to whatever your mother drugged you with."

Brooke looked stunned. Her mind couldn't seem to wrap around the news that had been given to her. Spencer was holding her hand tightly, thanking God for this miracle, while Emily leaned into Hotch with relief. This was what they needed. Now it was time to get Patricia to slip up.

(xxxxx)

 _You guys are wonderful! I have actually been excited to write this again and have been coming up with ideas. Your comments and suggestions helped me shape this story. It really gave me a stronger grasp on what could or couldn't work. So thank you all so much! I hope you enjoy this chapter! xoxo_


	13. Chapter 13

"So … I didn't kill my Papa? I don't understand. Why do I … but I see … I shot him?" Brooke said with confusion.

"Kids are very vulnerable to the power of suggestion. The more you tell a child something is real, the more they can picture it as an actual truth. Your mom planted that memory in your mind," Spencer explained.

"Oh my God," she said as she threw her hand over her mouth to cover the sobs that tried to escape.

Spencer pulled her into a tight hug as she cried tears of relief into his shoulder.

"How are we going to catch her though?" Derek said. "She's never going to admit that she kept Brooke in a cage and it's been too long for there to be any proof. At this point, all we have is a he said, she said battle."

"We need to figure out why Patricia killed George in the first place," J.J. stated. "But she won't admit it and based off what we know, they didn't socialize with anyone."

"We are going to need a miracle," Emily sighed.

At that moment, Hotch's phone rang.

"You're on speaker," he said.

"Fantastic, because I have some good news for you! Who is the most amazing tech in the universe? That would be me. Who did some profiling of her own and figured out John Evanson's alias? That would be me!"

"You found John?" Brooke said as she scrambled to her feet.

"You bet your adorable little butt I did. So, after reviewing all the information you gave me regarding John's pasts, including his favorite book being Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson. I did a little searching and found Harold Johnson, 29 living in Miami, Florida. I've sent a picture and you'll see why I doubt a DNA test will be needed."

Everyone opened their phones and looked at the photo Penelope had sent. The brunette male had deep brown eyes and smile reminiscent of the young woman standing in front of them. Spencer handed his phone to Brooke, who once again covered her mouth.

"That's him. That's John," she said.

(xxxxx)

It would be hours before Hotch, Derek, and Emily were able to locate and bring John back to DC. In order to keep Patricia from lawyering up, they offered to get her a hotel for the night in one of the fanciest hotels in the area. They convinced her that Brooke had been acting out and that they were bringing in the big guns to talk to her in the morning.

Rossi explained that without Patricia's assistance, there was a good chance Brooke would walk away innocent and no justice would be served. That they needed her testimony against Brooke in order to put her away for the rest of her life. This seemed to please Patricia and she agreed.

Police were set up around the hotel to make sure that she didn't try to flee during the night. Meanwhile, Spencer took Brooke to a different hotel to let her get some rest. Rossi and J.J. went home with the expectation to be back early the next morning.

Spencer unlocked the door to their room. He stepped in and held it open for Brooke, who nodded shyly and walked in past him. She stood in awe of the beautiful room. For most, it would seem like nothing. It had two twin beds with a nightstand in the middle. A small bathroom with a shower, but no tub. A small television on a dresser with six drawers. To Brooke, it looked heavenly.

"I hope this is ok for the night?" Spencer said as he placed his go bag by the dresser.

"It's wonderful, thank you so much," she said turning to face him.

He had forgotten she lived mainly out of her car and then there were the years spent in a cage. To her this was a 5-star hotel.

"Why don't you take a nice warm shower. I'll order us some dinner. Anything particular you would like?" he asked as he picked up the menu sitting on the dresser.

"No, I'm so hungry I could eat just about anything," she said. "But … I don't have any clothes."

Spencer seemed to remember something and bent over to unzip his bag. He pulled out a plastic bag and held it out for her.

"J.J. ran to the store and picked up a few things for you. There's some pajamas and other items she thought you might need," he said as she took the bag from him.

"Thank you," she said as she made her way to the bathroom.

Spencer had placed their order and was reading a book, when Brooke had emerged from the shower. She wore red and black plaid pants and a red tank top. Her wet hair was wavy and shining from the soft glow of the bedside lamp.

"Is … something wrong?"

Spencer snapped out of his daze and shook his head.

"No, I'm sorry. It's just …" he hesitated, making Brooke anxious. "You're so beautiful."

Her face lifted in surprise and her cheeks turned red. "Oh … thank you."

Once again, Spencer shook off his thoughts and cleared his throat.

"I'm going to, uh, take a shower now. Let me know if you need me," he said as he hurried past her and into the bathroom.

He opened the door instantly and came back out for his go bag. He gave her an apologetic smile as he ran into the bathroom again. Brooke couldn't help but giggle at his shy side. When he was FBI Spencer he was more assured and confident. When he was just Spencer, he was awkward and adorably goofy. It was very endearing.

And if she was honest with herself, it's what made her trust him. People like Derek intimidated her. She was afraid of those types. Although, she knew him enough at this point to know he would never hurt her. But with Spencer, it was as if he was on even ground with her. Like he understood her pain and he knew just what to say or do to make her feel at ease.

She was just climbing on to the bed when she heard a knock at the door. Her heart started racing as she froze in her spot. She heard another knock on the door, this one louder and more forceful. She wanted to call for Spencer, but her throat seemed to close on her.

Thankfully, the bathroom door swung open and Spencer emerged dripping wet with a towel wrapped around his waist. He looked questioningly at Brooke but immediately realized what happened by the look on her face.

"It's ok. It's just room service," he assured her as he glanced through the peep hole before opening the door.

She heard him talking to someone and apologizing for the delay. The door shut and he walked back into the room carrying a tray with two silver lids on it. He placed the tray down on the bed and then looked to her.

"Are you ok?" he asked.

"Yea, I'm sorry. I … thought … maybe it was," she said as her arms folded across her body protectively.

"She can't get to you. Not only would she have to get past the police stationed around her hotel, but she'd have to go through me and I promised you that I would never let her near you again," he said as he slowly approached her.

She could see the fire in his eyes. He meant what he said. She nodded and gave him a small smile.

"Why don't you sit down and eat. I'll get dressed and be right out," he said.

(xxxxx)

Two hours later, Spencer was propped up in bed reading a book. The lamp over his head dim enough to not disturb Brooke who was sleeping in the other bed. He turned another page when he heard her moving around. He glanced over and saw her staring at him.

"Is my light bothering you?" he asked.

"No."

"Are you alright?"

She thought about his question for a moment before deciding to be truthful with him. She sat up in the bed, her knees tucked into her chest.

"No."

"Do you want to talk about it?" he said as he put his book down.

"It's all just … a lot," she said as she waved her hands around her head.

"Ahh, can't turn off your thoughts?" he said with understanding.

"Yeah. I know I should sleep and I know I need it, but I can't," she sighed.

"Anything I can do?"

Brooke lifted the covers and stepped down onto the floor. She walked two feet to Spencer's bed and climbed on top. In a complete shock and surprise to Spencer, she pressed her lips to his. It happened so fast and she was kissing him more passionately than she ever had.

It felt so good and so right, that it took a lot for him to break the kiss. Brooke took this as a sign to start undressing, which had him reaching out to grab her hands.

"Brooke, wait … stop," he said frantically.

"Why? Is something wrong? Did I do something wrong?" she asked as she started to back away from him.

Spencer held tightly to her hands, not allowing her to retreat from him.

"No, you didn't do anything wrong –"

"Do you not want me?" Her eyes were round as saucers. The fear of rejection burning in her eyes.

"No, no, no! That's not it at all! Of course … yes … you're gorgeous and … I would love to –"

"Then I don't understand," she frowned.

Spencer held her hands tightly in his.

"Brooke, I like you a lot and I hope that there is a time when you and I can …" he swallowed hard. The word sex thick on his tongue. "But I don't want it to be like this. I want to make it special. Maybe take you out to a nice dinner or we could go stargazing. Just … not like this. Not because you need a distraction."

Brooke nodded, though he could see she was still a little hurt. He lifted his hand to brush the hair out of her face. Leaning forward he pressed his lips gently to hers. This time keeping the kiss soft and slow. Pulling away, he laid his forehead against hers.

"Please don't ever think I don't want you. There is no one on this earth that I want more than you. You just deserve better than this," he said in a hushed voice.

Brooke couldn't hold back her smile.

"How about I read to you?" he offered.

"May I stay with you? In your bed, I mean," she said timidly.

Spencer answered by lifting the sheet up for her to crawl in. Once she settled with her head on his shoulder, arm around his waist, and body curled into his, he began to read from the beginning of his book. It didn't take long before she fell asleep.

(xxxxx)

 _I truly can't thank you enough for the comments! They mean the world to me and inspire me to keep working on this! I think I found somewhat of a groove here. Let's hope that continues! xoxo_


	14. Chapter 14

*Trigger warning – abuse and violence

(xxxxx)

Spencer and Brooke were the first one's back at the station in the morning. Brooke had pleaded with Spencer to make sure they beat her mother there. She didn't want to run into her accidentally. Much to his dismay, Brooke had risen at 5am and was insistent that they go.

They both sat in the interrogation room waiting for the others. Spencer yawned, while Brooke leaned on his shoulder and tried to stay awake. By the time Rossi and J.J. had arrived, both of them had fallen asleep.

Spencer's head was tilted back and soft snores escaped him, while Brooke was pressed against his collar bone.

"If I only had a camera," J.J. said quietly.

"Hate to wake them," Rossi said.

J.J. slowly approached them and lightly shook Spencer's shoulder. "Spence." She continued to shake him. "Spence, honey, wake up."

A startled snore burst from him as he jumped, waking Brooke in the process. Both of them wiped at their tired eyes before realizing J.J. and Rossi were in the room looking at them. Brooke blushed and looked down at her lap, while Spencer stretched and tried to look more alert.

"Sorry to wake you," J.J. apologized.

"No, it's ok. Is everyone here?" Spencer asked as he ran his fingers through his messy hair.

"Not yet, but I just got a text from Morgan they are about 10 minutes away," she said.

"They found him? John? He's with them?" Brooke asked as she sat up straighter.

J.J. smiled and nodded.

"Is he ok?"

J.J. looked to Rossi.

"He's ok, but it's been a tough road for him, as it's been for you."

"What does that mean?" Brooke pressed.

"Your brother … he wanted to forget what happened. He didn't know how else to escape the pain …" J.J. said cautiously.

"Please, just tell me what's going on with him. Please," Brooke said as her eyes bounced from J.J. to Rossi.

"He's been using drugs for many years. We found him at the Miami Dade Correctional Facility, where he's been serving time for possession of illegal substances, intent to distribute illegal substances, and petty theft," Rossi explained.

"Oh John," Brooke sighed as she put her hands over her face to hide her tears.

She felt Spencer's hand rubbing her back gently.

"We are currently working on getting him transferred to a local facility, but it's been a struggle. Hotch is working with a legal team to convince a judge that this would be a beneficial move for him. They want to set him up with intense daily counseling. We believe he hasn't been given the proper tools to assimilate into society," Rossi said.

At that moment Rossi's phone made noise. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and read the message.

"They're here. I'm going to go greet them and then we'll bring him in," he said.

"Wait!" Spencer said, stopping Rossi in his tracks. He turned to look at Brooke, who watched him curiously. "Are you ok?"

"I think so," she replied.

"Are you ready to see him? Do you want to see him?"

Brooke took a deep breath and considered this. After a moment, she slowly nodded. "Yes. I'm ready."

Rossi turned and left the room with J.J. following behind. Once they had exited, Spencer grabbed Brooke's hand and held it tightly.

"If you need to be alone, all you have to do is look at me and I will get him out of here," he said.

She pursed her lips together and nodded.

"I'm right here with you," he said before placing a kiss to her forehead.

"Thank you," she whispered as she wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tightly.

Suddenly, the door opened and the two pulled apart. Brooke stood up, with Spencer following suite. Her heart hammered as Emily walked through the door. She gave Brooke a small encouraging smile as she stepped aside to allow a tall, brunette to enter the room. His eyes were surrounded by dark bags and his face stubbled from lack of grooming.

The room was quiet as John and Brooke stared at one another. Spencer watched Brooke carefully for signs of distress, while Derek had joined the room to keep an eye on John.

"Dani?" John said softly.

With that Brooke burst into tears and walked toward her brother, who opened his arms to engulf her in an embrace. They held each other as they both wept.

"I thought I'd never see you again," John said as he pulled back to look at her.

Brooke placed her hands on his cheeks and frowned.

"You look terrible," she said.

"Thanks," he chuckled. "You on the other hand look amazing. How have you been?"

"Ok. It's been difficult, but I'm finding my way."

"I'm sorry I left you. The guilt … " he said swallowing hard. "It's been eating me alive."

"It wasn't your responsibility John. I'm just grateful you were able to escape," she said.

"I'm sure Mama was angry," he said, though it sounded more like a question.

"Yea. She was. But it wasn't any worse than what she did to me when you were still at home," Brooke said so casually Spencer wanted to be sick.

"How did you get away?"

"Mama had left one of her hair pins in the bathroom when I was being punished. I stole it and used it to unlock the cage one night. I ran and never looked back. Eventually I found this nice elderly lady who offered to drive me to a shelter where I'd be safe.

I've been sort of living there ever since. Trying to save enough money to afford a place to live, but it's not easy when you don't really exist," she explained.

"Dani, I'm so sorry," John said with pain in his eyes.

"You were as much a victim as she was," Emily said gently.

Brooke and John looked at Emily as if they forgot she had been there.

"If it's ok, we'd like to go ask you some questions John?" Derek said.

"Yea, absolutely. If it helps clear my sisters name," he replied.

"Great, come with us," Derek said.

Emily noticed John's hesitation. "We will let you see your sister again. We just need to interview you alone."

John nodded and gave his sister one more hug before exiting the room. Brooke went straight for Spencer who wrapped her in his arms.

(xxxxx)

John sat across from Derek and J.J. They had given him a bottle of water that he was now drinking from. After he placed it back down on the table, J.J. smiled at him kindly.

"Are you ready?" she asked.

He nodded his head.

"We briefed you a bit on the plane about what is going on, what we need from you now are answers on the record about your childhood," Derek stated. "We want nothing but the absolute truth from you. Do not give any answers that you think we want to hear or that you think will protect your sister. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"Alright, lets start with the allegations that your mother was abusive. Is this something you witnessed?"

"Yes, sir. My mother was very abusive to all of us, but particularly Dani," he started.

"Let me interrupt for a second. Can you be more specific regarding the abuse you witnessed?" Derek said.

"Ok, one time when Dani was about 5 or 6, she was really sick with a stomach virus. She was throwing up and had massive diarrhea. She accidentally went to the bathroom in her pants and Mom went ballistic. She slammed Dani's face into the underwear, then screamed at her for making a bigger mess.

She sent my sister outside in the blazing summer heat, naked, to clean her underwear and herself with the garden hose. Then Mom made her stay out there for a few hours. By the time, she came back in she was so dehydrated Dad wanted to take her to the hospital.

Of course, Mom refused saying that doctors only want your money and would make up illnesses to take every dime you have. My dad and I spent the next day and half sneaking water to my sister when Mom was occupied."

J.J. swallowed hard as her eyes filled with tears. All she could picture was her sweet Henry and how she could never imagine treating him that way.

"So, this type of punishment was usual for you and Danielle?" Derek said professionally, though J.J. could hear the waiver in his voice.

"Mostly Dani. My punishments were usually no dinner, sit in my room all day, a beating. Dani's were always overboard. I've seen her locked in a shed for the night, forced to eat bugs, held underwater until she nearly drowned, burned by the stove, stabbed with scissors," he said.

"Stabbed? Your sister was stabbed?" J.J. said with her mouth dropped.

"Yeah, that was not long before I left."

(xxxxx)

 _Patricia Evanson stood in the kitchen cutting coupons, while Brooke was on her hands and knees scrubbing the tiles with a tooth brush. The stench of the bleach was making Brooke lightheaded and nauseous._

" _Mama, may I take a break? I feel a bit sick."_

 _Patricia laughed from where she stood, eyes still on the coupons she was cutting. John peered over the couch, where he was reading a book his mom forced him to read._

" _No."_

 _Brooke sighed and continued cleaning, when she started seeing stars. She placed her hand to her forehead and went to sit up on her knees when she lost her balance and fell over. The bucket of bleach splashed everywhere as Brooke tried to stop her fall._

" _You stupid bitch! Get up! Get up and clean this mess up, you worthless cunt!" Patricia shouted as she stormed over to Brooke, who was still dizzy._

" _Mama .. I'm … sor … ry," Brooke slurred as Patricia grabbed her by her shirt and yanked her off the ground._

" _Get up! What is wrong with you? You –"_

 _Before she could finish her words, Brooke vomited all over Patricia and herself. Patricia screamed in rage as she shoved Brooke to the floor and grabbed her by the throat. By this time, John had jumped up in fear and moved against the wall._

" _You disgusting piece of shit! I wish you would just die already!"_

 _With that Patricia stood up, marched over to her coupons, grabbed the scissors, stalked back over to Brooke, who was now on her side curled in a ball and slammed the scissors into her side four times. Each stab caused Brooke to scream in pain._

 _John was so afraid of what he was watching he couldn't move. Then as if nothing happened, Patricia stood up and walked back over to the counter. She wiped the blood off the scissors and continued cutting the coupons._

 _(_ xxxxx)

J.J. and Derek both stared in horror at the story John had just shared with them.

"I wanted to help her. I mean, I eventually did, but at that moment I was so afraid of what Mom would do, I just went back to the couch and tried to read."

Derek swallowed the lump in his throat and took a deep breath, trying to stay focused.

"You … uh … you said you eventually helped her? How, so?"

"When Mom went upstairs to take a nap, I cleaned up the mess. I also helped clean Dani's wounds and put bandages on them. Knowing what I know now, she should have gotten stitches, but we didn't know any better."

"Ok, we are gonna take a short break. Can I get you anything?" Derek asked as he stood up.

"No. I'm ok," John replied.

Derek and J.J. walked out of the room together. Hotch stood next to Rossi with a scowl on his face.

"You ok?" he asked a noticeably pale J.J.

"Please, don't make me listen to anymore of those stories," she said as tears filled her eyes.

"I'll send Emily in," Hotch said.

J.J. mouthed a thank you and then hurried off to call Will and Henry. This was becoming more than she could bear.

(xxxxx)

 _Thank you to everyone reading my story! Thank you times a thousand to everyone who takes a moment to comment or leave suggestions._

 _I will definitely explain why Brooke tried to sleep with Spencer at the hotel. That will come up a bit later._

 _A side note to Guest who has been posting that my stories make you happy when you are sad. I know what you are going through and if you ever want someone to talk to – I am here. xoxo_


	15. Chapter 15

Hotch decided to give Derek and J.J. a break from interviewing. He decided to bring Emily in with him to finish talking to John about what happened on the night their father had been murdered.

"Do you remember the night your father was murdered?"

"Yes, it was 4th of July."

"Where were you when it happened?"

"In my room."

"Did you see what happened?"

"No, but I heard Mom say 'you wanted to leave so bad. There you go'," John said as he stared down at the table.

(xxxxx)

 _John sat in the darkness of his bedroom. It was one of those days that Mama hated both him and Danielle. She had been locked in her cage all day, while he was confined to the bedroom. He wasn't allowed to do anything but sit on his bed. These days were always so long and boring._

 _He had just started counting the squares on his bedsheet for the 4_ _th_ _time when he heard three deafening explosions. In fear he ran to the door to try and get out, but Mama had locked it. He was about to call her name when he heard her speaking._

" _You wanted to leave so bad. There you go," she growled._

 _John stood still and held his breath as he heard his mom's footsteps coming his way. He wanted to run, but he'd lost all ability to move. He let the air out of his lungs as he heard her march down the stairs. Shaking he ran back over to his bed and climbed into it, lifting the cover over his head._

 _He could hear lots of sounds for the next hour. Eventually his door opened and he tried his best to pretend he was asleep, but his heart was racing._

" _Get up. I need your help."_

 _John scrambled out of bed and followed his mom into their bedroom, where the body of his father lay wrapped messily in a sheet._

" _Grab his legs," she said._

" _What … happened?" he said as his lips trembled._

" _Your sister shot him. We need to hide the evidence so she doesn't go to jail forever," his mom said._

 _John knew this wasn't the case as his sister was still locked in the garage and he had heard his mom speak right after the shooting. Without another word, he lifted his dads heavy body and helped drag it out back._

 _Once outside, his mom handed him a shovel and the two of them began digging the hole. The entire time John was in shock. He worked in a daze, moving almost robotically. When the job was finally complete, he was sent back inside to clean himself up and go back to bed._

 _As he lay in the dark that night, he could hear his mom cleaning all the evidence, while fireworks exploded in the distance. If only he hadn't gotten angry at his mom and told her dad's plan. It was all his fault._

(xxxxx)

Hotch and Emily listened in stunned silence. On one hand it was a relief to have another person corroborate Brooke's innocence, but to hear that a child was forced to bury his father was nauseating.

"Your father planned on leaving?" Hotch said, while Emily tried to snap out of her shock.

"Yes, sir. He told me after his next paycheck came in, he was going to take Danielle and me and move away."

By now a few tears had filled John's eyes. Emily grabbed a tissue and handed it to him. He nodded gratefully before wiping his eyes.

"Did he say where he planned to take you?" Hotch wondered.

"No, but it didn't matter to us. I know Dani and I would've happily lived in a car with him, as long as we were away from Mom."

"Last question and we'll take a break," Hotch said. John nodded. "Did your father ever explain your mother's behavior? Was there any reason she was so violent toward you and your sister?"

"By that, he means what was your father's opinion of the situation. Not the lies that your mother fed you," Emily tossed in.

"Dad never said anything to me, but I remember when mom was pregnant with Dani she would complain that she never wanted to have another child. That it was bad enough she had me. Then after Dani was born she was very angry at the attention she received from dad.

I heard them having an argument one night and Mom was yelling at him saying he never loved her the way he loved Dani. That Dani was ugly and the doctors said she would grow up to be stupid. That she should have had an abortion instead of allowing such a worthless child into the world. Stuff like that."

"Alright, we'll be back," Hotch said as he stood up and exited the room with Emily.

(xxxxx)

Rossi and Hotch marched into Patricia's interrogation room. She looked bored.

"Is that big shot here yet? I'm getting tired of waiting," she said.

"He has arrived," Hotch replied as he sat down across from her. "Alright, Mrs. Evanson, it's time to start being honest with us."

"I'm sorry, have I not been?" Patricia said with surprise.

"What really happened the night your husband was murdered?" Hotch asked.

"I've already been through this with you. Don't you people take notes or record interviews? Danielle killed her father while I was out back watching the fireworks with my son," she said.

"Interesting … as evidence would suggest otherwise," Rossi said as he folded his hands together and watched her carefully.

"Evidence? It's been 16 years, what are you talking about evidence?" Patricia laughed.

"You would be surprised how advanced our technology is these days. Not to mention eye witness reports, history. It's really beneficial if you cooperate rather than continue to spin tall tales," Rossi said.

"The only tall tales being spun here are by you two morons. I've seen enough crime shows to know how this works. You come in here acting all big and bad so you get me to supposedly confess to a crime. You may not be the brightest bulbs, but I know where I stand," she said as she leaned back in her chair.

"Don't say we didn't warn you," Rossi replied as he got out of his chair. "Oh, by the way, John sends his regards from the other room."

With that Rossi and Hotch exited with smirks on their faces. Leaving Patricia with her eyes wide and jaw dropped.

(xxxxx)

"So, I'm free?" Brooke asked with hope in her eyes.

"Not just yet. Unfortunately, now we have to prove what we know. Which is going to be difficult without evidence. It's your word against hers," Hotch stated.

"But John?" Brooke said confused.

"Still taking his word against hers. Evidence is the biggest part of convictions."

"What about the fact that she never took her kids to school or a doctor? Hell, they don't even exist according to records," Spencer said a bit angrily.

"That will certainly help our testimony, but again, jury's want proof. Without proof there can always be doubt and a good lawyer will be able to cast that doubt," Hotch explained.

Brooke and Spencer both sighed.

"So, what do we do now?" Spencer wondered.

"At this point, we look over all the information we have, including the ME report and what we have in regards to a case," Hotch said.

Spencer nodded and turned to Brooke. "Just sit tight and relax as much as you can. I'll be back to check on you."

Brooke nodded as he kissed her forehead. She sat back down in a huff as Hotch and Spencer left the room.

(xxxxx)

The team sat around the conference room table discussing their notes when they heard commotion and gunfire. Everyone from the table jumped up and ran from the room. Hotch, who ran in front of the group, saw an officer on the ground holding his shoulder, while another officer was next to him trying to assist.

"What happened?" Hotch asked.

"She caught me off guard and got my gun," the bleeding officer said.

"Brooke," Spencer gasped as he, Derek, and Emily took off running for the other interrogation room.

Spencer was the first to the room and felt his heart stop at the empty room. Emily hollered for them to follow her and they ran out the side door.

"Spread out!" Derek shouted as they dispersed into different directions.

Spencer ran behind the precinct with his gun held in front of himself. As he rounded the corner, he spotted Patricia dragging Brooke down an alleyway.

"Freeze!" he shouted as he ran toward her.

Patricia spun around with the gun pressed against Brooke's temple. Tears streamed down Brooke's cheek as she watched Spencer helplessly.

"Put down the weapon," Spencer demanded.

"No! I won't spend the rest of my life in prison because of this worthless piece of shit that never should have been born!" Patricia screamed.

"Let her go," he said. His gun still aimed directly at her.

"NO!"

"You kill Brooke, you still go rot in jail because I'll make sure you live and I'll make sure the rest of your pitiful life is a living hell," he growled.

Patricia seemed to think it over.

"It's a risk I'm willing to take," she said as she cocked her gun.

'Wait! Wait, wait, listen! Here me out I have another option!" he said as he held up his gun and other hand in surrender.

"I'm listening," she said.

By this time, the others had arrived and were spread out behind him. Spencer had asked them to stand down and trust him.

"If she dies, that's it. You end her pain and suffering. She goes on to a better place. If you let her live," he hesitated as he took a deep breath, "and shoot me, then she has to live with losing another person she loves."

"Spencer, no!" Brooke cried.

Patricia gave Brooke's headlock a tight squeeze and a jerk, shutting her up.

"So, you want me to shoot you?" Patricia repeated as she thought it over. "Ok."

The sound of multiple guns going off erupted down the small alleyway.

(xxxxx)

 _AHowell – you are correct. That was actually some of the inspiration behind the abuse. That story was by far one of the most horrific things I have ever read! That poor boy! Since I would never be capable of hurting someone, I used that as inspiration behind the abuse Brooke suffers. Well spotted!_

 _I decided to use some suggestions to move the story forward. I just didn't think after 16 years they would be able to convict Patricia of anything and I didn't want her to win._

 _xoxo_


	16. Chapter 16

_Brooke dropped to the ground as soon as her Mother let go of her and curled into a ball as the sound of gunshots rang above her head. She hadn't even noticed it had ended until she felt someone touching her. She began screaming in terror, until the voice got through to her._

" _Brooke, it's ok! It's J.J. You're safe! It's over!"_

 _Brooke stopped screaming and looked up to see J.J. looking at her sympathetically. In a moment of pure relief, she grabbed J.J. and hugged her tightly. She felt J.J.'s hand rubbing her back soothingly as she whispered words of comfort in her ear._

 _Suddenly, Brooke remembered Spencer. She stood up and looked to where he had been standing and saw Derek, Emily, and Rossi surrounding a body. J.J. tried to hold her back, but Brooke was too quick. She ran straight toward them, nearly trampling Emily, who stood up to stop her._

 _Lying unconscious on the ground was Spencer. Brooke started screaming in despair when she saw Derek's bloody hands covering Spencer's chest, where he'd been shot._

(xxxxx)

The hours seemed to tick by agonizingly slow as they waited for news from the doctor. While at some point everyone on the team had been injured, this was one of the worst and most troubling. By the time the ambulance had arrived, Spencer had stopped breathing. They were able to revive him on the ride to the ER, but he flatlined a second time when they arrived.

Everyone was trying not to fear the worst, but it was proving difficult as the surgery went on. Finally, the doctor called out Spencer's name and they all rushed over to him.

"The surgery went well. We were able to repair any damage. Thankfully the first bullet missed any vital organs and only caused a minor fracture to his breast bone and bruising to his left lung.

The second bullet, however, ruptured his diaphragm. We were able to reconstruct it with a prosthetic non-absorbable mesh material. We are going to keep him in ICU until we are able to upgrade his condition to stable."

At this point in the conversation, Brooke zoned out. He was alive. There was still a chance for him to survive and it seemed as though the doctor was optimistic of a full recovery. She didn't even realize J.J. was talking to her, until she heard her name called out again.

"Huh?" she said in a daze.

"Would you like to go see him?" J.J. repeated.

She wanted to speak, but she didn't trust herself to do so comprehensively, so she nodded. J.J. gently took her hand and the two followed the doctor down the hallway. She was aware of the fact that J.J. was asking the doctor questions, but she wasn't processing any of the words. Too much had happened in such a short amount of time that she felt overwhelmed.

They reached Spencer's room that he shared with a few other patients. While Brooke slowly approached the bed, J.J. pulled the privacy curtain around them. Spencer had a tube down his throat, tubes in his nose, IV's in his arm, and another tube that was attached to his side that contained blood.

Very cautiously Brooke reached out and placed her hand over his.

"You know what, I'm going to go ask the nurse some questions. I'll give you a moment," J.J. said as she stepped out of the curtain and disappeared.

"I'm sorry Spencer. I wish … I wish you had never met me," she whispered as a tear slid down her cheek. "I wish you would have listened to me and stayed away when I told you I was trouble. You are here because of me."

She started crying a bit more audibly.

"I'm so sorry," she said as she squeezed her eyes shut.

As she stood by his side crying, she was startled to feel his hand move. She looked up to see Spencer looking at her through heavy-lidded eyes. His finger gently caressed her hand for a moment before he fell back to sleep.

"Don't worry, I won't leave you this time. I promise I will stay by your side and I will help you," she said as she wiped away her tears.

(xxxxx)

Brooke sat on the black leather sofa holding a pillow against her chest. A woman with beautiful red hair that matched her red freckles, sat diagonally to her with a notebook in her hand. Dr. Melissa Zephyr had been speaking twice a week to Brooke since the incident with her mother.

"Hi, Brooke. It's good to see you. How are things going?" Dr. Zephyr asked.

"Hi, um, things are well. Spencer was released from the hospital the other day," she said softly.

"Did you go see him?"

"I did. Um, I actually … I live in the same apartment complex as him now. Derek, his friend, set it up. Thought it would be a good idea to have someone close to me … in case," she said.

"That was very kind and thoughtful of him."

"Derek has been very kind to me. Actually, everyone has been. I've never had friends before. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by them."

"That's understandable. You spent most of your life isolated from human interaction and what little you did experience was very unhealthy."

"So, what do I do? I don't want to be rude or hurt their feelings, but sometimes I just want to be alone. Is that bad?" Brooke wondered.

"Well, sometimes it's ok to want to be alone. Everyone needs time to themselves. Just be careful you don't allow yourself to fall into a pattern of avoiding others because of fear. It's important for you to socialize with others in order to see that people are mostly good. They aren't anything like your mother," Dr. Zephyr explained.

"My advice is to be honest with yourself and with them. If you need time to yourself, tell them that. They sound like very understanding people."

Brooke nodded and thought about this information as Dr. Zephyr watched her.

"So, you said you visit with Spencer? Do you do this often?"

"Daily, actually. Sometimes he stops by just to see if I'm ok. Sometimes he'll invite me over for dinner or to watch a program on tv. I've never watched tv before. I really like these nature documentaries that he shows me," Brooke said with a smile.

"Brooke, that is wonderful. Have you ever considered going to school? You could study to be a biologist or conservationist," Dr. Zephyr suggested.

"Oh, um, no," she frowned.

"Why?"

"I'm … I'm not very smart," Brooke said as her cheeks turned pink.

"Brooke, that is your mother talking. You are a very intelligent woman and you can absolutely succeed and become anything you want to be. I bet if you told Spencer of your interest in going to school, he would even help you prepare."

"Really? You think so?" she said with hope in her eyes.

"I do. Not only do I believe in you, but it sounds like Spencer and his friends believe in you. The next step is for you to believe in you. You are getting the chance to start over. A chance to be whatever you dream of. The sky is the limit."

(xxxxx)

Spencer had been out of the hospital for 5 days now. He was still sore as his wounds scabbed and healed, but was already getting antsy to get back to work. Hotch refused to let him back into the office until the following Monday and then he would be on desk duty for an additional week. Then, if he was approved by the doctor, he could start going into the field again.

He sat on the floor in his living room organizing his books by the year they were released, out of boredom, when there was a knock at his door. He stood up and went to open the door. He was happy to see that it was Brooke. He swung the door open and greeted her with a smile.

"Hello."

"Hi, I'm not interrupting, am I?" she asked shyly.

"No, please come in. You are never interrupting," he said as he stepped aside.

Brooke walked in and headed towards the mess of books on the floor.

"What are you doing?"

"Um, reorganizing my bookshelf. I was bored," he chuckled.

Brooke smiled and gave a light laugh as she sat down on his couch.

"Can I get you something to drink?" he offered, as he always did.

"No thank you," she declined.

"How did your appointment go with Dr. Zephyr?" he asked as he sat down on the couch.

"It went well. She thought it was a good that I moved into these apartments," she said making him smile.

"I'm glad she approves," he said.

"She also thinks that maybe I should," she shrunk down a bit. "Go back to school. She gave me some information about getting my GED."

"Brooke, that is fantastic!" Spencer said excitedly. Brooke looked at him, shocked by his reaction. "I think going to school would be great for you. Do you know what you'd like to study?"

"Um, not really, but she said there are tests I could take that can give me ideas. She also said since I love nature so much maybe something like conservationist or biologist."

She let out a squeal of surprise when his arms wrapped around her.

"I am so proud of you. I know it's only been two weeks since you started therapy, but you are already making great strides," he said as she eased into the hug.

When they parted she looked into his eyes shyly, unsure what to do next. Spencer hesitated too. They hadn't kissed or participated in any type of snuggling, hugging, or hand holding since the day he had been shot.

"Brooke, um, have you … thought … or um, talked about us?" he stuttered nervously.

"Yes … but I don't think I understand what you're asking," she said as she searched his eyes.

"I know with all of the drama that was happening at the station … I just … I don't expect you to want … ah God, why is this so difficult to ask?" he sighed with a non-humored laugh.

Brooke furrowed her brow as she tried to figure out what he was asking her.

"Is there something I'm doing wrong?" she asked.

"No, God no. Not at all. I just … I just … I don't want you to feel like you have to be my girlfriend. I know that you are dealing with a lot and your emotions may have gotten the best of you," he rambled.

"You … don't want me to be your girlfriend?" she said.

"No! I do! I want you to be … I just … I don't want you to feel like you have to. Like you owe me something. If you just want to be my friend, that's ok," he said flustered.

"Oh. I see," she said as she looked down at her tangled hands. "Well, I guess … I want to be your girlfriend."

Spencer could read her hesitation. "But?"

She looked up at him with worry in her eyes. "I'm scared."

"Are you scared that I will hurt you?"

"No, not at all," she said as she gave him a small smile. "I just don't know how to be a person, let alone a girlfriend. Spencer, the woman you went on a date with … that wasn't me. That was a role I played to survive and once everything was uncovered … I lost that girl."

Tears filled her eyes as she angled herself slightly away from him.

"Brooke, I like you. The real you. The one I sat with in the police station. The one I've seen every day since I woke at the hospital. I know you have a long way to go, but I don't want you to be afraid that it will push me away."

Spencer watched as she wiped a tear from her cheek. He reached for a tissue and handed it to her.

"How about for now, we just let things guide themselves? I won't push you to do anything you aren't ready or willing to do. You make all the decisions. When and if you want to make this relationship official, you let me know. Does that sound alright?"

Brooke wiped her eyes with the tissue and looked to him with a half-smile.

"Ok," she said.

"Ok," he repeated.

(xxxxx)

 _Time to start the healing process. Hope you enjoyed and thanks for all the awesome comments!_

 _xoxo_


	17. Chapter 17

Christmas came and went. It was the first time Brooke ever experienced a real Christmas. Spencer took her to get her first tree that fit perfectly in her little living room. He bought new lights and ornaments for it, including a special one that said first Christmas and had Mickey Mouse on it. They spent the night decorating it, listening to Christmas music, and drinking cocoa.

She had gone present shopping with J.J., Penelope, and Emily. Which turned out to be one of the best nights of her life. She spent much of the evening laughing and listening to their stories. She was really starting to feel at ease with them. They helped her find a gift for Spencer, with what little money she had left from paying her monthly bills.

On Christmas Eve, she was invited to an early dinner at Rossi's house and then spent the rest of the night watching Christmas classics with Spencer until she accidentally fell asleep on his couch. She woke up the following morning, to find herself covered with an afghan that smelled like Spencer.

She was surprised to find a few presents under his tree that he said were for her from Santa. She knew they were obviously from him and cried at his thoughtfulness. He had bought her some books, a sweater she had commented on when out with the girls, and a beautiful bracelet with a phoenix charm. It was to 'symbolize a new beginning,' he had told her.

He was touched by the fact she had bought him something. Though 'it wasn't much' she told him, he was thrilled by the tie and socks that looked like outer space. He promised to wear them first day back to work.

January had passed quickly. Spencer was back to work and therefore, gone on cases for days at a time. Sometimes this worried Brooke, because she felt alone again, but Penelope always managed to sense when she was lonely and would call or show up.

February was here and one of the biggest holidays for lovers was around the corner. All the girls were abuzz with plans and ideas for this year's Valentine's Day. Brooke, however, was unsure what it would mean for her and Spencer.

He had been true to his word. Never once did he press her to do anything. He never tried to hold her hand and never kissed her. He kept his distance, unless she made the move to sit closer or to give him a hug. He was very respectful of her healing process.

The problem now was, Brooke didn't now how a relationship even worked. When was the right time? What was she expected to do as a girlfriend? What about sex? She had tried to do that once before and he had turned her down, much to her embarrassment and yet appreciation.

It was three days before the 14th, and the girls had gotten together for drinks at Emily's house. They were sitting in the living room, Emily stretched out on her couch with a wine glass in hand. J.J. curled up on the end of the couch with her wine, Penelope sat on the floor cross legged playing with her cell phone, while Brooke sat with her feet tucked up under herself on the wingback chair.

Music played gently in the background as they took turns discussing their plans. Brooke kept quiet, soaking in what they were saying, when Emily's eyes shot to her.

"Do you and Spencer have plans?" she asked.

"Um, not at the moment," she said with a hint of pink in her cheeks.

"Don't worry, I'm sure he'll ask," Penelope assured her with a smile.

"He might. He's been very respectful of my recovery," Brooke replied.

Emily narrowed her eyes. "I hear hint of disappointment."

Brooke looked down at her hands that worried in her lap.

"Do you not want him to be respectful?" Penelope asked with confusion.

"No, I am grateful for that," she said.

"Than what's the problem sweetness?" Penelope said gently.

"Well, I guess … " she trailed off as her face turned a deeper shade of red.

"Don't be embarrassed. Whatever you share with us, we will keep between us," J.J. assured her. "Part of girls night is helping each other."

"And we won't laugh at you, if you are worried about that," Penelope threw in.

Brooke sighed. Sometimes it helped having profilers as friends. They were able to break down some of her walls, by reading what she wasn't saying.

"Ok, the thing is, I don't know how to be a girlfriend. Spencer is an amazing person who deserves so much and I don't want to … I don't know … not give him all he deserves I guess."

"Well, it's not much different than being his friend really," J.J. started. "Most of it will come naturally. When you care about someone you want to be there for them, help them, support them, love them."

"Exactly. There isn't much of a difference between being a friend and girlfriend," Penelope said.

"Well, except for the physical part of it. When you find that guy you want to be with, your body will want more from that person. You'll desire to touch and kiss them, fool around, and eventually, you'll want to do more."

"More as in sex," Brooke said, more boldly than she expected, but she suddenly just wanted to know. She didn't want to tip toe around it.

"Yes," Emily said.

"Ok, but how do I know when that is supposed to happen? I tried to give myself to Spencer the night before my … Patricia arrived for the interview. I couldn't sleep and he asked if there was anything he could do to help me. Well I remembered hearing a conversation at the coffee shop once, about how this girl had sex with her boyfriend after a horrible day and it helped not only distract her but he was satisfied.

After everything Spencer had been doing for me, I thought that was the perfect thank you. But, he told me no. He said it shouldn't be like this and the first time should be romantic and … well I don't understand. When will I know it's romantic or not?"

The girls had been listening intently. None of their faces showing judgement.

"Sex is a beautiful thing, Brooke. It's a wonderful gift to give to the person you love, but it has to be for the right reasons," J.J. said softly. "You are very lucky to have Spence. He's a very sensitive guy. For him, its more than a primal need, it means something to him.

Some guys it's all about numbers for them. How many women they were able to sleep with. Spence isn't like that. It's an expression of deep love for each other. He will wait until it's right."

Brooke seemed to ponder this, but still looked puzzled.

"Are you a virgin?" Emily asked.

Brooke turned bright red and seemed to sink into the chair further.

"Nothing to be ashamed of darling," Penelope said. "Nothing at all."

"That makes Spence turning you down even better. Your first time should be romantic and definitely not during a time of turmoil like you were experiencing," J.J. said.

"Brooke, the only advice I can give you from experience is you will know when the time is right. If you have even one question in your mind that says 'should I do this?' or 'is this the right time?', then it isn't the right time," Emily said.

"She's right. You will feel it. Your body will start to throw you signals," Penelope agreed.

"Signals?"

"I take it you have never been aroused before?" Emily asked.

"I … I don't think so …" Brooke trailed off.

"I would doubt it based off your lifestyle. Not much to get you fired up. Hang on," Emily said jumping up.

She walked over to a bookshelf and began digging behind a few of the books. She grabbed one and walked back over to hand it to Brooke. The cover was a shirtless well-built man, holding a woman in his arms. Her white dress blowing in the breeze as they stared longingly at each other.

"I like romance novels on occasion. Guilty pleasure," Emily said as she sat down. "Read that and see if anything sends a tingle up your spine. Do your lady parts feel sensitive and this odd urge to touch it to relieve that feeling. Your heart rate may speed up or you might even skip a beat. These things are signs of arousal.

Your body is telling you that it wants to be pleasured, relieved, taken care of. And if you feel these things when you are with Spencer, then it may be time to start exploring. Do not start off having sex. Start off slow."

"Ok, slow meaning what?"

"A little make out session," J.J. said.

"Then step it up to a bit of touching. Let him touch your breasts, maybe even let him kiss them," Emily said causing Brooke to blush.

"Right, right. Then if that feels good, you can start exploring below the belt. Touching and tasting one another," Penelope said as she leaned back with a grin on her face.

"And then, you move on to sex. And let me tell you, once you slowly build up to it …" Emily said with a sigh. "It can be one of the most amazing moments of your life."

The girls were all quietly staring into the distance, clearly reliving some of those moments of their own. Brooke watched them and felt a little excited at that idea. After a few moments of reflection, J.J. snapped out of it and broke the trance.

"Well, now that I'm sufficiently horny. I think I'll be heading home to Will," she said making the other girls laugh.

(xxxxx)

 _Hope you enjoyed and thanks for all the awesome comments!_

 _xoxo_


	18. Chapter 18

Brooke sat on her couch the following night reading the book Emily gave her. She found herself blushing immensely during many of the intimate moments, but thoroughly enjoying them at the same time. She started losing herself in thought of her and Spencer doing those things together. For the first time, she started experiencing what an arousal felt like.

She nearly threw the book across the room in surprise, when she heard a knock at her door. She shoved the book into her couch cushions and got up quickly to answer the door. She swung it open to see Spencer smiling at her.

"Spencer, hi," she said flustered.

He noticed her red cheeks and furrowed his brow.

"Are you ok?"

"Yea, I'm fine. I was just … doing some yoga," she lied.

He eyed her with suspicion, but decided to accept her excuse at truth.

"I won't keep you. I was just wondering if you didn't have any plans on Thursday, if I could take you out to dinner?"

"I would like that very much," she said with a smile.

"Great. How about 7 o'clock?" he offered.

"Ok," Brooke agreed.

"Cool," he said with a shy smile. "Ok, well, I'll see you then."

He gave her his awkward wave that she adored and walked off toward the stairs as she closed her door.

(xxxxx)

It was the night before Valentine's Day and Brooke had just finished her shift at work when J.J. walked into the store. Brooke smiled as she walked over to her friend.

"J.J., hi. Surprised to see you here? Are you looking for a book?" she asked.

"No, actually I'm here to see you," J.J. smiled.

"Oh, what for?"

"Well, a little birdie told me you are going to a fancy dinner tomorrow night and I thought you might want to go buy a dress," J.J. offered.

"Oh, J.J. That is so sweet of you, but I can't," Brooke frowned.

"Why not? You have other plans for tonight?"

"No, it's not that … it's …" she hesitated. "I don't really have the money."

"Oh, that's actually already been taken care of," J.J. said as if it were no big deal.

"What?" Brooke said with shock.

"I am here to be your style consultant. Money is no object," she said as she looped her arm with Brooke's. "Come on. I won't take no for an answer. Besides, I never get to do this anymore with Garcia and Emily. Don't deprive me of a night of shopping."

Brooke wanted to protest, but J.J. had already started toward her waiting SUV. Brooke gave in and hopped into the front seat.

(xxxxx)

Spencer stood nervously outside of Brooke's apartment door. He fidgeted as he waited for her to answer. His jaw dropped when she opened the door. Her hair was up in a bun, with a few loose strands framing her face. She wore a red lace mini dress with three quarter sleeves and black high heels.

"Wow … you look amazing," he said in awe.

Brooke blushed as she ducked her head shyly.

"Thank you. You look handsome, as usual," she said.

Spencer wore what he typically wore to work. This time he had opted for his black suit, a dark blue dress shirt, and the outer space tie Brooke had purchased for him.

"Thanks," he grinned as he snapped out of his daze and handed her a bouquet of roses in a glass jar. "These are for you. I picked out pink because they symbolize appreciation, grace, and perfect happiness. I didn't know if you had a vase to put them in, so I just decided to get one in case."

"They are beautiful, Spencer. Thank you so much," she said as she took them inside and placed them on the table by her couch. "That was very considerate of you."

Spencer gave her a nervous smile before tossing his head toward the door. "Shall we go?"

Brooke nodded, grabbed her black sweater and purse that matched her shoes and followed Spencer out the door.

(xxxxx)

Dinner was going wonderfully. The restaurant was beautiful and Brooke was taken back by how elegant everything was. She had fun not only eating what she ordered, but tasting everything Spencer had ordered as well. He was thrilled at how comfortable she seemed to be around him. As though she heard his thoughts, he noticed she seemed to get a little jittery.

"Everything ok?" he asked.

Brooke nodded and gave him a small smile. "Yes, I actually … I wanted to do something … for you and I didn't really know what. I know this is kind of a special night and … well, a tie doesn't seem to be enough," she said.

"Brooke, holidays aren't about gifts. It's about spending time with people you care about. Just being with you tonight, is enough for me," he said sincerely.

"I enjoy being with you too," she said bashfully. "I guess that makes what I want to say a little easier."

Spencer furrowed his brow and looked at her questioningly.

"If it's ok with you … and if you still want me to …" she started blushing. "I'd like to be your girlfriend."

A large smile stretched across Spencer's face. He reached across the table and held his hand out for hers, holding it lightly.

"I would be honored," he said.

Brooke smiled shyly. It was now official. Spencer and Brooke were an item and both couldn't be happier.

(xxxxx)

Spencer had asked Brooke if she would like to come over and watch a movie. She had agreed and now sat quietly beside him, with their fingers tangled together, watching some romance movie on tv. She tried to stay interested, but to be honest, she had other thoughts in mind.

Spencer, as usual, seemed to sense that Brooke was thinking about something.

"Is this too boring?" he asked.

"Huh?" she snapped out of it and saw him looking at her. "Oh, no, it's fine. I was just thinking about something."

"Something you want to talk about?"

He noticed her cheeks flush and she seemed hesitant to say anything.

"Brooke, you don't have to be afraid to talk to me. You can tell me anything. You can trust me, I promise," he said as he gave her hand a small squeeze.

She looked up at him and saw the honesty in his eyes. She nodded her understanding, but turned her attention back to her knees nervously.

"Ok … well … I guess I'm not really sure what to say," she began.

"Is it something bad? Have I done something wrong?" he asked as he turned to face her more.

"Oh, no! Not at all! Spencer, you have been wonderful. You have been so helpful these past few months. I don't think thank you is even enough," she said.

"Well, there's no thank you needed," he said. "So, if it's not a bad thing. Maybe just say it and don't worry about how it comes out?"

"Ok, so, the other night I was at Emily's house with J.J. and Penelope and we got to talking about what it means to be someone's girlfriend. Cause … well, obviously, I have no idea what to do. They explained a lot to me, which was very helpful and Emily … she gave me a book," she said.

Spencer watched her curiously as his brow knitted at the last sentence.

"It was a romance novel. She told me I should read it and see if I get any feelings from reading it," she said suddenly turning a deep shade of red.

Spencer was surprised by this confession, but schooled his face so he didn't embarrass her by accident.

"Did it?" he asked in a deeper voice than he had meant to.

Brooke ducked her head and nodded.

"Hey, there's nothing to be ashamed of. That's natural and a good sign that you are healing properly I would imagine," he said gently.

"The thing is … I want to experience those things I was reading. I want to know what it feels like. I want … I want to do those things … with you," she said now practically maroon.

"Brooke, there is nothing I would like more, but I want to be completely honest with you. I think that's important," he said making her heart race and a frown stretch across her face.

She felt his finger under chin, lifting her to look at him.

"It's not bad. Trust me when I say I want to experience all of those things with you too," he said as he gently tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "I just want to be careful that I don't push you too far. You are making great strides in trusting me and I would be devastated if I did something that caused you to regress."

She thought about what he said as they stared into each other's eyes. Spencer's thumb gently stroked her cheek. After a few moments, Brooke sighed.

"I understand what you are saying and I'm not ready to … you know … have sex yet," she said timidly. "But I do want to move forward a bit with you. Could we maybe … kiss a little?"

Spencer gave her a gentle smile. "Yea, that is something I think we could do."

With that he leaned forward and placed his lips against hers. Slowly they began to grow more comfortable with this and curled into one another. Spencer wrapped his arms around her, one hand on her lower back, while the other held the back of her neck. Brooke had placed one hand into his messy curls and the other sat on his shoulder.

The feel of his tongue gently wrestling hers made chills run up her spine. The feeling Emily described in her lady parts was intense. She wanted more so badly, but she knew Spencer had more experience and if he felt they needed to go slow than she would listen. But man, did she hope it wasn't too slow.

(xxxxx)

 _Two in one day! What! Unheard of! Hope you like it! xoxo_


	19. Chapter 19

**Warning – Smut chapter**

(xxxxx)

It had been two months since Spencer and Brooke started their official relationship. During this time a lot had happened. Regarding their relationship, many of their date nights ended with heavy make-out sessions leaving both of them breathless and wanting more, but Spencer stayed adamant about taking it slow.

As for day to day life, Brooke had her name officially changed to Brooke Williams and had started studying daily for her GED test. Spencer loved helping her whenever there was something she didn't understand. She was just as happy to listen to him when he taught her something. He was fascinating and so intelligent.

Once a week, she visited her brother in prison. It was nice to reconnect with him. She hoped when he was released they would be able to be a family again. He was trying to get his life together and was even taking classes in hopes to get a good job when he got out.

She continued bi-weekly therapy sessions and was becoming stronger every day. She was starting to trust those around her and didn't have as many nightmares as she used to. She had been prescribed some medications that were helping with her PTSD and anxiety. The therapist attributed a lot of her success on not only the hard work Brooke put into her healing, but the incredible support system she gained through Spencer.

Everything seemed to be falling nicely into place.

It was a warm April evening, when Spencer arrived home after being gone for a week on a case. He texted Brooke, inviting her over for a late dinner and a movie. They ordered Chinese food and settled into each other's arms to watch Spencer's favorite show, Dr. Who.

Unfortunately, due to exhaustion from the long week, Spencer fell asleep rather quickly. Eventually, Brooke nodded off as well. Several hours, later he woke up laying down with his back to the couch and Brooke curled against his body. Her butt lined perfectly with his now rock-hard dick.

 _Shit._ He didn't want to freak her out. He slowly began to move so he could get up, but Brooke's head turned towards him. He paused and hoped she was still sleeping, but he saw her look up at him.

"I'm sorry," he apologized.

Brooke twisted herself until her body turned to face him better. He looked at her sheepishly as she searched his eyes. He swallowed the lump in his throat, suddenly not being able to focus enough to read her.

He tensed in surprise when he saw her hand moving toward the bulge in his pants. She looked down momentarily as her hand gently ran over it. Spencer involuntarily groaned at the feeling. She looked back up at him curiously.

"Can I?" she asked in a hushed voice.

Spencer hesitated, but eventually nodded. Brooke unbuttoned his pants and pulled the zipper down as Spencer adjusted his position to make it a bit easier for her. Nervously he lifted himself up slightly and pushed his pants down enough to set his erection free.

From where she lay, propped up on her arm, Brooke stared in wonder. She slowly ran her fingers up his dick and back down it. The second time she ran her fingers up, she stopped at the tip to lightly rub it. She could see the glistening of pre-cum. This was something she read about, in preparation for the day she finally was with Spencer.

She sat up with her back to him and admired every vein, wrinkle, and freckle on him. She wrapped her hand tighter around him and began to stroke slowly up and down. She heard Spencer let out a moan and looked back to see him watching her with a hungry look in his eyes.

"Is this ok?" she asked.

Spencer nodded and sat up to pull her to his mouth. He kissed her more feverishly than he ever had before. Brooke turned towards him as she continued to run her hand along his throbbing dick.

"I want to touch you," he said as he broke the kiss.

"Ok," she replied nervously.

Spencer stopped and held her face in his hands.

"Are you sure?" he asked as he stared deep into her eyes.

"Yes, I'm sure," she said with a smile.

"If you want me to stop at any point, I will," he said.

Brooke nodded her understanding before pulling him in for a kiss. His hands played with the hem of her shirt. She broke the kiss and Spencer could see worry in her eyes.

"Brooke, it's ok to stop," he reassured her.

"No, I don't want to. I just … you should know that … my body has … it has a lot of scars," she said ashamed.

Spencer surprised her by smiling and lifting off his own shirt. He pointed to a puckered spot on his neck.

"Got shot in the neck once," he said before pointing to another scar on his hip. "I was held hostage in a colt compound and barely escaped the building exploding. Piece of metal right through my side."

He pushed his pants down further and bent his knee. She saw multiple scars.

"Shot in the knee. Had to have surgery and walked with a cane for 6 months," he said. "And there are plenty more."

Brooke had gently touched each of his scars before looking at him with resolve. She took a deep breath and lifted her shirt off. Spencer was surprised to see she hadn't been wearing a bra. He looked at her beautiful milky white skin staring back at him. Like she did, he ran his finger tips over each scar he saw.

Her breasts were on the smaller side, but enough to hold in his hand. Her nipples were the perfect pink and standing at attention as if they knew there was an audience.

"You are more beautiful than I ever imagined," he said making her smile.

Spencer leaned forward and gently kissed her. As they kissed, he eased her down onto her back as he laid beside her. Breaking the kiss, he moved his lips slowly down her neck and across her collarbone. When he reached her breasts, he stopped and looked up with a soft smile.

His eyes asked for approval and with a small nod and a smile, he got permission. He ran his hand lightly over each, watching her reaction. She alternated between watching what he was doing and looking back at him. After a few moments, he leaned over and placed a kiss on her chest.

Using his nose to rub her nipple gently, her heard a small gasp. With that he looked up at her to watch as he flicked his tongue over it. She bit her lip and placed her hand on top of his head, tangling her fingers in his hair. Taking it up a notch, he opened his mouth and began suckling at her tit.

"Oh, wow, that feels good," she whispered above him.

Spencer smiled against her skin as he trailed kisses to the other side and began giving that breast the same treatment. This play lasted for another five minutes, before Spencer moved back up to kiss Brooke passionately. As they kissed, she reached down and began playing with his dick again. Making him moan in her mouth.

Spencer was disappointed when he felt her hand let go of him, but he didn't say anything. He wanted her to do what felt comfortable for her. If she was done stroking him, that was fine. What he didn't expect was to have his hand grabbed from her breast and pushed lower. He pulled back from the kiss.

"Please," she said with big doe eyes.

He hadn't planned on doing this tonight, but how could he say no when she looked at him like that. He continued sliding lower even after her hand moved away. He slipped his fingers through her elastic pants and ran his hand down along what felt like lace panties. He was shocked when he felt how wet the underwear was already.

"Brooke, do you feel that?" he asked.

"Feel what?" she said confused.

"You are soaked," he said with a pleased smile.

"Oh," she said turning red.

"No, that's a good thing. That means you are enjoying this," he said in many ways relieved by this statement.

"I could've told you that," she grinned.

Spencer let out a chuckle as he leaned forward and gave her a loving kiss. Before continuing to slowly run his hand along her sensitive parts.

"Are you ready?" he asked, though the wetness should've been enough of an answer.

"Will it hurt?" she asked as she watched him.

"It might feel weird at first, but I'll go slowly and I want you to tell me if you want me to stop. Promise me you will," he said.

"I promise," she agreed.

With that he slipped into the panties and ran his fingers along her warm pussy. He watched her the entire time as he gently massaged her clit. She squirmed beneath him at the feeling of his fingers rubbing her.

Spencer spent an adequate amount of time with her clit before he carefully slid his middle finger down to her entrance. Brooke gasped and closed her eyes as her body tried to fight the invader. It squeezed his finger as he kept inching his way in. Once he made it inside, he waited a few moments before moving it in and out.

His gentle rhythm allowed her to get used to him and she started to enjoy the feeling of it pressing against her spongy wall. She started to moan as he added an additional finger and began massaging her clit at the same time.

"Oh … Spence … that … feels … so good," she whined as her body rode his fingers.

"You like it?" he said with a smirk.

"Yes, oh gosh, yes," she said before pulling his face down to hers.

She kissed him frantically as he continued to finger fuck her. Brooke broke from the kiss gasping for air. Her chest rising up and down as she panted. He saw her body stiffen and shake. He knew that was a sign she was getting close to an orgasm.

He watched her intensely as her head flipped from one side to the other. Her body writhing next to him until finally she convulsed forward. Her eyes shut and her mouth dropped open as she grunted and groaned through her orgasm. Her legs shook and her stomach clenched. He watched each spasm in awe, until she dropped back onto the couch, spent.

He gently removed his fingers from her and placed kisses along her forehead.

"That was by far the most breathtaking thing I have ever seen," he said.

Brooke gave him a tired smile. "That was by far … the most breathtaking thing … I have ever felt," she said as she tried to catch her breath.

Spencer laughed and gave her a big kiss. "God, I love you," he said without thinking.

Brooke's eyes shot to his and she saw his widen.

"You … love me?" she said as her eyes searched his.

He couldn't back out now. He had said it and he had meant it. Why deny it?

"Yeah. I do. You don't have to say it back. I didn't really plan on saying it like this," he said blushing at his blabber mouth.

A tear slipped from Brooke's eye.

"Brooke, I'm sorry! I shouldn't have –"

"No, Spencer. No, I'm just … I'm so happy right now. I just so, so happy," she said as more tears joined. "I love you too."

Spencer felt tears well up in his eyes as he bent over and kissed her.

"Will you stay tonight?" he asked her as he pressed his forehead against hers.

"I would love to," she said smiling.

Spencer stood up and put himself back into his pants. Then held out his hand for Brooke. She grabbed it with a smile and they walked into the bedroom together. Ready to fall asleep in each other's arms. In the arms of the person they loved.

(xxxxx)

 _Three chapters in such a short time span?! I am on a roll! Hope you enjoyed this chapter – gave you some fluff, you know that means it's time for a little angst. Thanks for the comments as always! xoxo_


	20. Chapter 20

A small patch of morning light streamed through a gap in the curtains. The only sound heard was gentle snoring. Spencer was sprawled out on his back wearing just his boxers, while Brooke was curled into him. Her arm draped over his chest and her leg tangled with his legs. She had borrowed a t-shirt to sleep in and shivered against the morning chill.

Brooke sat up and reached for the discarded comforter at the foot of the bed. She pulled it up and over their bodies as she snuggled back into Spencer's body. She felt him move to hold her closer.

"Good morning," he whispered.

"Morning," she said tilting her head back to look at him.

"Did you sleep well," he asked.

"Mmhmm, you?"

"Yea," he said with a smile.

Brooke rolled over to face him better. A smile stretched across her face.

"You seem very happy," he said with a smile.

"How can I not be happy? I went to sleep in the arms of the most amazing man in the world, who I love and loves me. It doesn't get any better," she said.

Spencer leaned forward to press his lips to hers. Both moaning as their kiss intensified. The sound of Spencer's cell phone ringing broke the moment.

"I'm sorry," he said as he reached for his phone.

"It's ok," she replied as she snuggled back into him.

Spencer looked at the text and groaned. His head flopped back onto the pillow in disappointment.

"You have a case?" Brooke said looking at him from where she lay.

"Unfortunately," he frowned.

She starts to get out of bed when she feels herself pulled back into the bed.

"Where do you think you are going?" Spencer teased as he climbed on top of her and smothered her with kisses.

"Well, I was going to home," she said laughing.

"You don't have to go," he said seriously. "Why don't you rest some more?"

"But, you have to work?" she said.

"So? My home is your home," he said. "Stay as long as you like. In fact …" He climbed off of her for a moment and hurried across the room to an old-fashioned cabinet. She heard him open one of the little drawers and close it before running back over to the bed. Sliding next to her he held up a silver key.

"Here, I want you to come over anytime you want. I mean it when I say my home is your home," he said.

"Spencer, this is so nice of you," she said happily.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

"Ugh, I really wish you didn't have to go to work," she said.

"I know, me neither, but I do have to get ready," he said giving her another kiss before climbing out of bed.

"It's ok. I'll be here when you get home and maybe we can explore each other a little more," she said with a flirty grin.

"I've created a monster," he joked as he bent over to give her one more kiss.

"It's your fault really. You shouldn't be so desirable," she said as he went to the closet to gather his clothes.

"Well, that's an adjective I've never heard anyone use to describe me," he chuckled.

"People don't understand the value of anything because they've always had whatever they want. I know something special when I see it," she said.

Spencer stood in the doorway clutching his clothes.

"I'm just grateful that someone as wonderful as you would choose someone like me," he said.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," she said. "Now go shower or you'll be late."

Spencer snapped out of it and rushed into the bathroom to finish preparing for work.

(xxxxx)

While Spencer was away, Brooke continued with her day to day activities. Therapy had been doing wonders for her. She hadn't had a nightmare in over a month, she didn't feel overly timid around people, and she felt optimistic about her future.

She had taken another practice GED quiz and was proud to see she had improved since the last time she had tried. She still had a ways to go, but at least she was going forward. Every time she saw her score increase, she felt her confidence rise as well. She wasn't stupid as her mother had claimed. She was in fact very smart and a quick learner.

She sat on her bed practicing math equations when she heard a knock at her door. She excitedly jumped up and ran to the door, hoping it was Spencer. He had been gone for 4 days on a case and didn't have much time to text or call.

Her heart dropped a little when she saw it wasn't Spencer, but she was still pleased with the visitor. She opened the door with a smile and greeted Penelope who held up a brown paper bag.

"Hey, I hope I'm not disturbing you. I thought you might like some company. I brought Chinese food," she said with a bright smile.

"Come on in," Brooke said as she stepped aside. "That's really quite kind of you."

"Well, the case is over, so I'm not needed anymore for the night. Figured it would be a good opportunity to hang out and have a girl's night," Penelope said as she placed the bags down on the small card table.

Brooke watched her curiously as she emptied the bag of food on to the table.

"Are you alright?" she asked softly.

"Me? Oh, yea, sweetness. Why wouldn't I be?" Penelope said flashing her a smile.

"Well, you don't look like you are alright. Your smile … it's not reaching your eyes like it normally does and they seem … distant," Brooke said.

"You are hanging with Reid too much," Penelope replied as she continued to unload and open containers.

"Well, if you want to talk, I'm a good listener," Brooke said as she went to grab plates and silverware.

When she came back into the room, Penelope was leaning on the table, staring at the food. Brooke gently placed the plate in front of her and placed her hand on her back.

"Sorry. I … it was a rough case. I can't really talk about it. Not just because it's the rules, but … I don't want to think about it," Penelope said as tears welled in her eyes.

"I'm sorry. I can't imagine how you deal with what you see on a daily basis. We don't have to talk about it. Why don't we sit down and eat and talk about things you want to do this summer?"

Penelope smiled and nodded as she sat down in her chair. The tension in the air cleared quickly as they settled into their meal and girl talk. Before long an hour had passed and they were now sitting on the couch laughing over the story Penelope was sharing.

"So, every time we ask the guy a question he's like 'that's classified'." They were both cracking up. "So, so, Emily is like 'do you have to carry your gun and badge with you everywhere' and the dude is like 'affirmative'."

They are both laughing so hard, Penelope can barely talk.

"Wait, wait! It … it gets better. So, Emily asks to see it. To see his badge! And the guy goes 'sorry, that's classified'. Right? So, Emily pulls out her badge and goes 'does it look like this?' and then J.J. pulls hers out and says 'or this?'. To which I of course pull mine out and say 'or this?'."

The two were laughing so hard they didn't even hear the knock on the door.

"I have never seen a guy disappear faster in my life!" Penelope roared as they laughed so hard they were gasping for air.

While doubled over, the sound of knocking at the door was finally heard. Brooke stood up and tried to catch her breath as she walked over to the door. She swung it open to find Spencer standing with a smirk on his face, having heard the laughter.

"Spencer, you're home," Brooke said still giggling.

"Yea, sorry, am I interrupting?" he said peering into her apartment.

"It's just me, boy genius!"

"Penny came over for dinner. She was just sharing a story with me. You want to come in?" Brooke offered as she stepped aside.

"Oh, no I don't want to impose," he said.

"You aren't imposing. Get your skinny little butt in here," Penelope called out.

Brooke laughed and shrugged at Spencer.

"Well, you heard her," she grinned.

Spencer walked into the apartment and waved at Penelope who smiled cheerfully at him from the other side of the couch.

"Come sit and unwind," Penelope said as she held up a bottle of wine.

"Is she drunk?" Spencer whispered to Brooke.

"No, but I have a feeling she is well on her way," she giggled. "You want a glass?"

"No, thanks," he said as she sat down on the empty love seat.

"Are you hungry? We have some left over Chinese. I could make you a plate," Brooke offered.

"Yeah, that sounds good. Thanks," he said as she scurried off to the kitchen.

"She is a doll. I just adore her," Penelope said to Spencer.

"Yea," he nodded his agreement.

"You love her, don't you?" she said watching him with a grin.

"Yea."

"Have you had sex yet?" she blurted.

"Garcia!" he cried as his face turned red.

"What?"

By this time, Brooke had reentered the room and noticed Spencer's face color.

"Spence?" she said as she handed him the plate.

"Thank you," he said ignoring the question in her tone.

Brooke looked to Penelope who just shrugged innocently. Brooke looked to Spencer again who was focused on the food on his plate. She decided to ask him about it later. For now, she sat back down to enjoy the rest of the evening with her friend.

(xxxxx)

Two hours later, Penelope was sound asleep on the couch. She drank enough wine that she became drowsy and fell asleep mid conversation. Spencer and Brooke moved to her bedroom to talk so they didn't disturb Penelope.

Spencer lay facing Brooke on her bed. Their fingers intertwined while they talked about the past few days. Spencer had explained that the case involved kids and that was always rough on everyone.

"How do you do it? Go back every day and face the same atrocities?" she asked.

"It's not easy. Sometimes we want to quit. To walk away from it all," he said with a frown. "But knowing that there are people out there who need us. People who are innocent and praying for someone to save them … well, you can't really walk away from that."

"You are incredibly brave," she said.

Spencer blushed.

"I don't know about that," he said.

"How can you not see it? Spencer, people run from situations like that. If given the option, they will literally run. You and your team, you run toward that danger. You risk your lives to save others. How is that not bravery?"

A smile tugged at Spencer's lips.

"I don't know how you always find a way to make me feel special," he said as he scooted closer to her.

"Well, you are special," she said wrapping her arm around his neck.

Their faces inches apart.

"I've always been special, but I never felt like that was a good thing until you. I always wished I was ordinary like everyone else. I didn't want to be the smartest person in the room. I didn't want to be the one that stood out and everyone laughed at."

Brooke frowned at his words. She knew Spencer had some difficulties growing up, but never realized it hurt him as deeply as it did.

"But with you, I want to be me. I feel proud to be as smart as I am and no one else's stares matter anymore. Only the way you look at me matters. No one's laughter and teasing hurts, because you don't laugh or tease me. You are the reason that my heart beats."

Brooke's eyes watered as she listened to Spencer's words. To know that someone needed her after a lifetime of being unloved and abused was more than her heart could handle. She pressed her lips to his as tears rolled down her cheek. When they broke apart she saw that Spencer had been crying as well.

"I love you, Spencer Reid."

She didn't give him a chance to answer. She pressed her lips back on his and kissed him passionately until the two were so exhausted with emotions they fell asleep holding each other.

(xxxxx)

 _Alright – looking for a little help so to speak. I am feeling like I am nearing the end of this story, which may be too early for many of you. What is something you would want to see happen? What do you hope for Brooke and Spencer – do you want more danger? Do you want it to just wrap up happily ever after?_


End file.
